Brain DeathDISCOVERNCT06640088
Determining ICU Staffs Conceptions, Opinions, Views, Experiences and Reflection of Brain Death and Organ Donation
An observational study of Brain Death, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The study aims to gather information regarding the individual perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and conceptual understanding of healthcare professionals working in the intensive care units at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland, and to determine associations of… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Brain Death
- How many people
- 338 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 14 Oct 2024to 30 Apr 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Eligible healthcare professionals in the ICU at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
Who may be able to join
- Consenting nurses and physicians currently working in the intensive care units (ICU) at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
- Only nurses and physicians consenting to participate will be included
Who cannot join
- Nurses and physicians not currently working (any more) in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau or the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
- Nurses and physicians who do not consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The study aims to gather information regarding the individual perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and conceptual understanding of healthcare professionals working in the intensive care units at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland, and to determine associations of individual beliefs, personal, educational, and professional experiences with individual perceptions, opinions, and conceptual understanding regarding brain death and organ donation.
Read the detailed description
To achieve the study objectives, the investigator will employ a questionnaire-based survey administered to the consenting/participating nurses and physicians. The questionnaire will address various aspects related to personal background, religious affiliation, beliefs about life after death, the conceptual understanding of brain death and organ donation, as well as experiences and opinions related to these topics.
- Conditions
- Brain Death
- Keywords
- Organ Donation, Intensive Care Unit
- Medical subject headings
- Brain Death
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Information on individual perceptions regarding brain death and organ donation
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual perceptions
Measured: at baseline
Information on individual opinions regarding brain death and organ donation
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual opinions
Measured: at baseline
Information on individual beliefs regarding brain death and organ donation
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual beliefs
Measured: at baseline
Information on conceptual understanding regarding brain death and organ donation
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify conceptual understanding
Measured: at baseline
Identification of interprofessional variations
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify interprofessional variations
Measured: at baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Oct 2024
- Study start14 Oct 2024
- Primary completion30 Apr 2025
- Study completion30 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Brain DeathStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 338 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Raoul C. Sutter, Prof. Dr., Principal investigator, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06640088
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Req-2024-01116, am24Sutter
- Acronym
- DISCOVER
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Oct 2024
- Last updated
- 17 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Grzonka P, Berger S, Tisljar K, Hunziker S, Fisch U, Schumann R, Nebiker M, Cioccari L, Sutter R. Determining ICU staff's conceptions, opinions, views, experiences and reflection (DISCOVER) of organ donation - Results from a Swiss multicenter survey. J Crit Care. 2026 Oct 20;97:155772. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2026.155772. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 42901051Grzonka P, Berger S, Tisljar K, Hunziker S, Fisch U, Schumann R, Nebiker M, Cioccari L, Sutter R. Determining ICU Staff's Conceptions, Opinions, Views, Experiences, and Reflection (DISCOVER) of Brain Death-Results From a Swiss Multicenter Survey. Crit Care Med. 2026 Sep 1;54(9):2279-2289. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000007220. Epub 2026 Jun 9.
PubMed 42289099
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Determining ICU Staffs Conceptions, Opinions, Views, Experiences and Reflection of Brain Death and Organ Donation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06640088
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DISCOVER / Req-2024-01116, am24Sutter
- Conditions
- Brain Death
- Keywords
- Organ Donation, Intensive Care Unit
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 338 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study aims to gather information regarding the individual perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and conceptual understanding of healthcare professionals working in the intensive care units at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland, and to determine associations of individual beliefs, personal, educational, and professional experiences with individual perceptions, opinions, and conceptual understanding regarding brain death and organ donation.
Detailed description
To achieve the study objectives, the investigator will employ a questionnaire-based survey administered to the consenting/participating nurses and physicians. The questionnaire will address various aspects related to personal background, religious affiliation, beliefs about life after death, the conceptual understanding of brain death and organ donation, as well as experiences and opinions related to these topics.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Eligible healthcare professionals in the ICU at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Consenting nurses and physicians currently working in the intensive care units (ICU) at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau and the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
- Only nurses and physicians consenting to participate will be included
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Nurses and physicians not currently working (any more) in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the University Hospital Basel, the Cantonal Hospital Aarau or the Cantonal Hospital Baselland
- Nurses and physicians who do not consent
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Information on individual perceptions regarding brain death and organ donation
Time frame: at baseline
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual perceptions
Information on individual opinions regarding brain death and organ donation
Time frame: at baseline
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual opinions
Information on individual beliefs regarding brain death and organ donation
Time frame: at baseline
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify individual beliefs
Information on conceptual understanding regarding brain death and organ donation
Time frame: at baseline
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify conceptual understanding
Identification of interprofessional variations
Time frame: at baseline
Descriptive analyses will be performed to identify interprofessional variations
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Jun 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42901051Grzonka P, Berger S, Tisljar K, Hunziker S, Fisch U, Schumann R, Nebiker M, Cioccari L, Sutter R. Determining ICU staff's conceptions, opinions, views, experiences and reflection (DISCOVER) of organ donation - Results from a Swiss multicenter survey. J Crit Care. 2026 Oct 20;97:155772. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2026.155772. Online ahead of print.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42289099Grzonka P, Berger S, Tisljar K, Hunziker S, Fisch U, Schumann R, Nebiker M, Cioccari L, Sutter R. Determining ICU Staff's Conceptions, Opinions, Views, Experiences, and Reflection (DISCOVER) of Brain Death-Results From a Swiss Multicenter Survey. Crit Care Med. 2026 Sep 1;54(9):2279-2289. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000007220. Epub 2026 Jun 9.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Raoul C. Sutter, Prof. Dr. principal investigator
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Brain Death, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Information on individual perceptions regarding brain death and organ donation (time frame: at baseline). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06640088, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Jun 2026.