Psychological rules of communication with relatives of a potential organ donor--the Polish experience

Increase of number of organs for transplantation depends on the positive attitude of the general public toward cadaveric organ donation and transplantation. This attitude is shaped as the result of education performed by mass media and as a result of individual experience of various people with the health-care service. Whenever a decision on post-mortem donation of a deceased is unknown, there are his close relations who might express his will. The aim of this article is to draw attention to several problems of psychological nature, which refer to proceeding with relatives of organ donors. A course and result of talks with relatives of a potential organ donor depend on a number of factors, which are pointed out below. Within the frames of this interaction, basic rules of effective communication are presented, including message on death of a close person in case of brain stem death diagnosis. Furthermore, examples are presented of the most frequent errors of those who talk with relatives, scope of appearing difficulties and several methods to avoid and/or overcome occurring problems.