Equity Lab Readiness Survey

Thank you for your interest in the Equity Lab Readiness Survey.

This survey aims to gather insights from donation and transplantation centres across Europe about their readiness to engage with questions of equity. It explores how centres perceive potential barriers for patients and families, current communication practices, workforce awareness, and organisational support.

Please note that this is not a ranking or performance assessment. There are no right or wrong answers, and responses will not be used to compare or evaluate individual centres. Instead, the survey is designed to open conversations, map possible blind spots, and help identify where shared learning and support may be most valuable.

We encourage you to answer based on your honest impressions of your own centre. Even where you are uncertain, your perspective is valuable. The survey covers four areas: patient and family barriers, clinical encounter and communication practices, workforce capability and equity-oriented practices, and organisational support and operational capacity. Completing it should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

All responses will be treated confidentially and reported only in aggregated form.

1.Name (It is optional, you can complete the survey anonymously.)

2.Centre name and location (Please use your centres English name, if possible)(Required.)

3.Non-medical factors may create barriers to equitable access to donation or transplantation in our setting.(Required.)

4.Families may face emotional, cultural, or informational barriers that affect their ability to engage in deceased donation discussions.(Required.)

5.Language, cultural, or health-literacy factors may affect patients’ or families’ understanding of the donation–transplant pathway.(Required.)

6.Some patients or families may experience difficulties maintaining long-term follow-up after transplantation.(Required.)

7.Patients from migrant, minority, or culturally diverse backgrounds may face cultural, linguistic, or migration-related barriers within the transplantation pathway that are not fully explained by socioeconomic status alone.(Required.)

8.Geographic distance or travel requirements may create barriers to accessing transplantation services or follow-up care.(Required.)

9.Discussions with families about deceased donation are conducted in a way that promotes understanding, trust, and sensitivity to family circumstances.(Required.)

10.Communication with patients and families is standardized yet adapted to their individual informational and support needs.(Required.)

11.Our center uses communication approaches that are appropriate for culturally and linguistically diverse patients and families.(Required.)

12.Please briefly describe any measures currently used in your center to support culturally and linguistically diverse patients and families, such as interpreter services, translated materials, cultural mediation, tailored information, staff training, or collaboration with community or faith representatives.

13.Patients and families are given adequate opportunities to ask questions and express concerns throughout the pathway.(Required.)

14.Communication between professionals and patients supports informed participation in decisions about donation and transplantation.(Required.)

15.Patients and families receive adequate support during major transitions in care, such as referral, listing, transplantation, and follow-up.(Required.)

16.Staff in our center are aware that inequities may arise across the donation and transplantation pathway.(Required.)

17.Staff are aware of existing initiatives or practices aimed at promoting equity in our center.(Required.)

18.Staff feel able to recognize and respond to barriers affecting migrant, minority, or cross-border patients and families.(Required.)

19.Staff feel prepared to conduct equitable and sensitive discussions with families during deceased donation processes.(Required.)

20.Staff consider social, cultural, linguistic, and family circumstances when supporting patients through the transplantation pathway.(Required.)

21.Leadership recognizes equity in donation and transplantation as an important priority.(Required.)

22.Our center has sufficient resources to address equity-related challenges when they are identified.(Required.)

23.There are established processes or initiatives aimed at improving equity within our center.(Required.)

24.Our center has adequate support for consistent and appropriate family approach in deceased donation, including adapted materials or staff education where needed.(Required.)

25.Interpreter services, culturally adapted information, or other support resources are available when needed.(Required.)

26.Our center has procedures that support continuity of care for patients receiving transplantation or follow-up across different healthcare systems.(Required.)

27.Our center routinely reviews data, experiences, or outcomes to identify potential inequities in donation, transplantation, or follow-up care.(Required.)

28.Our center routinely reviews referral, wait-listing, transplantation, or follow-up data to identify potential inequities between patient groups.(Required.)

29.Relevant social determinants, such as language needs, migration background, geographic distance, and caregiver availability, are considered in local quality-improvement activities.(Required.)

30.Decisions involving non-medical barriers or concerns are periodically reviewed to promote consistency and fairness.(Required.)

31.Please provide any additional comments, concerns, or suggestions regarding equity in donation and transplantation within your center.

Thank you for completing this survey.

Your responses will help build a clearer picture of how centres across Europe experience and approach equity in donation and transplantation. The findings will be used to inform discussions, highlight common challenges and promising practices, and shape future collaborative work, not to rank or judge any individual centre.

If reflecting on these questions has raised topics you would like to explore further within your team, we warmly encourage you to continue those conversations locally. Should you have any questions about the survey or wish to share additional thoughts, please contact askme@esot.org.

We greatly appreciate your time and openness.