Abstract
In response to combatting COVID-19 and to ease the traceability of immunization, the Mysejahtera mobile application has been rolled out nationwide in Malaysia by the Ministry of Health. However, the usage of this application in public health has been decreasing as the pandemic situation becomes more manageable. Subsequently, new features including the pledge for organ donation have been introduced. Yet, the number of organ donors remain low. In supporting the growth of digital health, this study aims to determine the factors contributing to the awareness, attitude, and intention of Malaysians to register as organ donors in this application. A quantitative approach is applied, whereby purpose sampling is used. The sample size taken is 400 respondents, and structural equation modelling (SEM) method is utilised to validate the model. This study shed light on the public's awareness and their willingness to use mobile app for organ donation purposes. The result is expected to assist policymakers in developing effective strategies and to successfully manage organ donation in Mysejahtera.
TopBackground
According to Kaur (2022), The International Registry on Organ Donation and Transplantation (IRODaT) has listed Malaysia as having one of the lowest rates of deceased organ donation, with only 0.9% of the population donating organs per million inhabitants in 2020. This is largely attributable to the “opt-in” organ donation (od) system in Malaysia, which requires an individual to pledge voluntarily to be included in the national registry for organ donation. Despite the noble goal, the concept of ethical and consenting organ and tissue removal from a donor for transplantation into a recipient is still relatively new in Malaysia. In addition, organ donation can be objected to by the living individuals or family members of the deceased under the “opt-out” system that further reduce the statistic for organ donation.
Table 1. Actual deceased organ donor and living organ donor in Malaysia from 2001 to 2022
| Year | Number of Deceased Donors | Number of Living Donors |
| Actual Number | Per Million Population (PMP) | Actual Number | Per Million Population (PMP) |
| 2001 | 20 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 13 | 0.5 | 33 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 8 | 0.3 | 26 | 1 |
| 2004 | 9 | 0.3 | 32 | 1.3 |
| 2005 | 5 | 0.2 | 37 | 1.4 |
| 2006 | 13 | 0.5 | 29 | 1.09 |
| 2007 | 14 | 0.5 | 44 | 1.6 |
| 2008 | 14 | 0.5 | 33 | 1.2 |
| 2009 | 18 | 0.7 | 35 | 1.3 |
| 2010 | 18 | 0.7 | 35 | 1.3 |
| 2011 | - | - | - | - |
| 2012 | 18 | 0.64 | 52 | 1.84 |
| 2013 | 15 | 0.5 | 56 | 1.87 |
| 2014 | - | - | - | - |
| 2015 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 0.19 | 39 | 1.27 |
| 2017 | 35 | 1.1 | 57 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | 7 | 0.22 | 68 | 2.13 |
| 2019 | 16 | 0.53 | 102 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 28 | 0.9 | 120 | 3.75 |
| 2021 | 7 | 0.2 | 71 | 2.1 |
| 2022 | 23 | 0.7 | 153 | 4.65 |
Source: International Registry on Organ Donation and Transplantation (2022)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Awareness: The state of being conscious and mindful to recognize information from one's surroundings or from within oneself.
Intention: A person's conscious mental state of purposefully aiming or planning to carry out a particular action.
Expectancy: An individual’s anticipation and subjective perception of the likelihood that something will occur according to the desired outcome.
Mobile Application: Also known as a mobile app, is a software program specifically designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices. Mobile apps are typically downloaded from an app store.
RELIGIOUS BELIEF: Refers to a set of convictions, principles, or values often based on faith.
Organ Donor: An individual who willingly and legally donates one or more of their organs or tissues, either while they are alive or after their death, to be used for transplantation into another person who needs an organ transplant.
Trust: The individual’s psychological and emotional concept that is based on an assessment of reliability and integrity.