Ritual and Power in Medicine: Questioning Honor Walks in Organ Donation

Area of Science:

• Ritual Studies
• Medical Sociology
• Bioethics

Background:

• Honor walks are ceremonies accompanying organ donors' final journey from intensive care units (ICUs) to operating rooms (ORs).
• These practices are framed as tributes to organ donors, yet their ceremonial nature warrants critical examination.
• Existing literature often overlooks the ritualistic and symbolic dimensions of honor walks within healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze honor walks as ceremonial rituals through the lens of ritual studies, specifically drawing on Ronald Grimes' theories.
• To critically evaluate the claims of honoring organ donors versus honoring the act of organ donation.
• To investigate how these ceremonies function to promote organ donation acceptance within the medical community.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of honor walks as symbolic social dramas.
• Application of ritual studies framework, referencing Ronald Grimes' work on ceremonial power.
• Examination of the performative and symbolic aspects of honor walks in healthcare.

Main Results:

• Honor walks function as rituals that display medico-technological power rather than primarily honoring individual donors.
• The ceremonies symbolically honor organ donation itself, promoting it as a 'good death'.
• These rituals mask the inherent complexities and discomfort associated with organ donation, fostering acceptance.

Conclusions:

• While honor walks may offer some benefits, particularly for donor families, they primarily serve to legitimize and promote organ donation.
• The practice warrants critical examination for its role in managing perceptions and masking ambiguities within the organ donation process.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the ethical implications and societal impact of these ceremonial practices.