Psychosocial, Legal, Ethical, and Cultural Aspects of Organ Donation and Transplantation

Examining the Decision to Talk with Family About Organ Donation: Applying the Theory of Motivated Information Management

“…The current models of organ donation campaigns work primarily on convincing individuals to become organ donors through various emotional and rational appeals (for review, see Morgan, Miller, & Arasaratnam, 2002). Our data, together with evidence showing the importance of family in obtaining consent to donation (Lange, 1992), imply that such efforts may have limited success if not accompanied by messages that improve individuals' efficacy to communicate with family and cope with their reaction. In other words, we need to see greater recognition of the organ donation decision as a dyadic or family persuasive process, rather than a solely personal, individual one.…”

“…Other risks perceived by the public associated with organ donation itself are often framed in terms of institutional mistrust (e.g., Arnason, 1991;Lange, 1992;Reitz & Callender, 1993). Medical establishments such as hospitals (which are thought to care more about profit than people) and the fraternity of medical professionals (who are feared to bring on premature death in order to get a person's organs) are often believed to operate against a patient's best interests (e.g., Siminoff & Arnold, 1999;Siminoff & Chillag, 1999).…”

Needs of patients and families during the wait for a donor heart

“…Transplant candidates may experience guilt as a result of wishing for or joking about potential deaths that might produce organs. 3,4,[20][21][22]26,42,43 One participant in our study exemplified this situation, expressing concern that such humor was "terrible," yet noting how indeed humor helps to get through a day. The use of humor as an effective mechanism for individuals with chronic illness is well supported in chronic illness literature.…”

“…19 The uncertainty associated with when an organ will be found, or even if an organ will be found is a major source of stress for those waiting for a donor organ. 3,[20][21][22] During the wait, patients are constantly reminded of their mortality, as suggested by one candidate's nickname for the HT list, "Life Row." 23 In a study of 175 HT candidates, the actual wait for a donor heart ranked fifth among all stressors reported; 83% of these patients had been on the transplant list for just less than 3 months.…”

Understanding the relationship between knowledge and African Americans’ donation decision-making

“…Among African Americans in particular, studies using a composite measure of knowledge demonstrate that overall knowledge about organ donation is an important predictor of willingness to donate [6,26,[38][39][40][41]. However, less research has explored how different types of knowledge relate to donation intentions among African Americans.…”