Ríos, AntonioLópez Navas, Ana IsabelLópez López, AnaGómez, F. J.Iriarte, JorgeHerruzo, RafaelBlanco, GerardoLlorca, Francisco JavierFernández Santander, AnaParrilla, PascualEt al.2019-09-072019-09-072018Rios, A., Lopez-Navas, A., Lopez-Lopez, A., Gomez, F. J., Iriarte, J., Herruzo, R., … Parrilla, P. (2018). Do Spanish Medical Students Understand the Concept of Brain Death? Progress in Transplantation, 28(1), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/15269248177466871526-9248http://hdl.handle.net/11268/8191OBJECTIVE: To analyze the level of understanding of the brain death concept among medical students in universities in Spain. METHODS: This cross-sectional sociological, interdisciplinary, and multicenter study was performed on 9598 medical students in Spain. The sample was stratified by geographical area and academic year. A previously validated self-reported measure of brain death knowledge (questionnaire Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante sobre la Donación y Transplante de Organos) was completed anonymously by students. RESULTS: Respondents completed 9275 surveys for a completion rate of 95.7%. Of those, 67% (n = 6190) of the respondents understood the brain death concept. Of the rest, 28% (n = 2652) did not know what it meant, and the remaining 5% (n = 433) believed that it did not mean that the patient was dead. The variables related to a correct understanding of the concept were: (1) being older ( P < .001), (2) studying at a public university ( P < .001), (3) year of medical school ( P < .001), (4) studying at one of the universities in the south of Spain ( P = .003), (5) having discussed donation and transplantation with the family ( P < .001), (6) having spoken to friends about the matter ( P < .001), (7) a partner's favorable attitude toward donation and transplantation ( P < .001), and (8) religious beliefs ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-seven percent of medical students know the concept of brain death, and knowledge improved as they advanced in their degree.engjournal article10.1177/1526924817746687open accessMuerte cerebralEstudiantesMedicinaInvestigación sobre el cerebroMuerteEstudiante universitario