Abstract

Background Over the last few decades biobanks have been recognised as institutions that may revolutionise
biomedical research and the development of personalised medicine. Poland, however, still lacks clear regulations
regarding the running of biobanks and the conducting of biomedical research. While the awareness of the general
public regarding biobanks is low, healthcare professions and medical students also lack basic knowledge regarding
biobanks, and such ignorance may affect their support for biobanks.
Methods This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitudes of future healthcare professionals
towards the donation of human biological material for research purposes and is based on a sample of 865 Polish
medical students at Poznań University of Medical Sciences.
Results This research has shown that the awareness of medical students’ regarding biobanks is low. It has also shown
that while the majority of future healthcare professionals enrolled in this study supported the idea of biobank
research and declared themselves willing to donate, still many students felt ambivalent about the biobanking
of human biological material for research purposes and expressed concerns over biobanking research. While
the primarily motivation to participate in biobank research was the desire to help advance science and to develop
innovative therapies, the most common reason for a refusal was the fear that the government, insurance companies
or employers, might have access to the samples. Concerns over unethical use of samples and data safety were
also prevalent. More than half of students opted for a study-specific model of consent and only a few opted for broad
consent.
Conclusions This research suggests that a lack of knowledge about biobanks, their role and activities may affect
medical students’ support for biobanks and their active participation in the collection and management of biospecimens
for research purposes. Since in the future medical, nursing and pharmacy students will be involved in the collection,
storage, testing and analysis of biospecimens from their patients, medical students in all professional fields
should be trained regarding the concept, purposes and operational procedures of biobanks, as well as the ethical,
legal and social implications of biobank research.

Citations

Authors (3)