A practical Israeli strategy for appealing for organ donation

Area of Science:

• Medical Social Work
• Transplantation Medicine
• Bereavement Counseling

Background:

• Existing literature on organ donation primarily focuses on family support, brain death, and donation appeals.
• There is a lack of research addressing organ donation strategies for families experiencing "sudden mourning" or acute grief.
• This study addresses the gap by focusing on practical interventions for facilitating organ donation in critical situations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a specialized strategy for professional intervention in cases of imminent death.
• To guide families toward cognitive and emotional readiness for organ donation following tragic news.
• To facilitate the organ donation process and allow families to grieve and take leave of the deceased.

Main Methods:

• Development based on donor coordinator records of family interactions.
• Consultations with experts in marketing, persuasion, and negotiation.
• Analysis of research on donor and non-donor families, and focus group statements from donor families over 10 years.

Main Results:

• A strategic approach encompassing early staff self-awareness and critical stages of the donation process.
• Includes preparation, death notification, and organ donation requests with persuasion techniques.
• Addresses managing resistance, anger, and facilitating physical leave-taking from the deceased.

Conclusions:

• Presents a flexible, strategic framework to enhance organ procurement rates.
• Prioritizes the protection of family rights and welfare throughout the process.
• Aims to optimize organ donation success while maintaining ethical family support.