Social work and organ transplantation

The nonsurgical aspects of organ transplantation are complex and beyond the expertise of professionals of any one discipline. This article addresses some of the issues involved in the organ donation, procurement, and transplantation process and suggests roles that social workers can play at the societal, institutional, and case levels in this new area of health care. Social workers can advocate against the commercialization of organ transplantation; help educate the public regarding organ donation; foster approaches to donor allocation that are free of social worth considerations; provide support to the families of organ donors before, during, and after the decision; and assist families to accept completely the death of their loved one. Through such services, social workers can free medical staff to focus on medical areas of organ transplantation and ensure that organ donation remains a humane and humanized gesture.