Satisfaction with the organ donation process of brain dead donors' families in Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate the satisfaction of the families of brain dead donors with regard to donation processes as well as their emotions after the donation.

A cross-sectional survey study was performed that included 45 families of brain-dead donors in 1 hospital-based organ procurement organization (HOPO) in Korea between February 2007 and April 2011.

Donor willingness and desire in life was the most frequent reason organs were donated (34.5%), followed by the advice of family members or friends (31.0%). Satisfaction with the organ donation processes was 4.04 of 6 points. In each category, the satisfaction with the decision of donation was the highest (4.96 points) and the satisfaction with the procedure of donation was the lowest (3.07 points); of each question, the satisfaction of "information and help on funeral arrangements was enough" and "the process of preparing the relevant documents was cumbersome" was the lowest. "Missing" the dead person and "pride" were the most common emotions experienced after organ donation (69.0% and 62.1%, respectively), followed by "grief," "family coherence," and "guilt." Religious practices were observed to be most helpful for psychological stress relief after donation, followed by spending time with family and friends. Moreover, 24.1% responded that they had not yet overcome their suffering.

Because donors' own willingness is the most common reason that families choose donation, it is necessary to remind the public of the importance of organ donation through education and public relations using mass communication approaches. Additionally, because the families felt grief and guilt as well as missing their loved ones and pride regarding their dead loved ones after organ donation, continuous and systematic supports are needed to promote their psychological stability.