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Pediatric organ donation: what factors most influence parents' donation decisions?

James R Rodrigue1, Danielle L Cornell, Richard J Howard

  • 1Transplant Center, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. jrrodrig@bidmc.harvard.edu

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|May 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Parental organ donation decisions for deceased children are influenced by prior registration, beliefs, and timely, sensitive discussions. Understanding these factors can improve consent rates and facilitate organ donation education.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Public Health
  • Transplantation Medicine

Background:

  • Parental consent for organ donation from deceased children is a critical aspect of transplantation medicine.
  • Factors influencing these decisions are complex and multifactorial, impacting organ availability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key factors influencing parents' decisions regarding deceased children's organ donation.
  • To inform strategies for improving organ donation consent rates.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study utilizing structured telephone interviews.
  • Data collected from 74 parents of donor-eligible deceased children in the Southeastern United States.
  • Involved one organ procurement organization.

Main Results:

  • Organ donation likelihood increased with parental registration as an organ donor and favorable donation beliefs.
  • Prior exposure to organ donation information and a sensitive requestor enhanced donation likelihood.
  • Sufficient discussion time and family consensus significantly predicted donation decisions.

Conclusions:

  • Several modifiable factors significantly influence parental organ donation decisions.
  • Targeted education and improved communication strategies can potentially increase consent rates.
  • Findings support the development of interventions to facilitate informed parental consent for organ donation.
Abstract

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