Effect of Interviews Done by Intensive Care Physicians on Organ Donation

In this study, we examined the correspondence between intensive care unit physicians and the relatives of potential brain-dead donors regarding the decision to donate or the reasons for refusing organ donation. A total of 12 consecutive cases of potential brain-dead patients treated in intensive care units of Marmara University Pendik Education and Research Hospital in 2013 were evaluated. For each of the cases, the Potential Donor Questionnaire, and Family Notification, Brain Death Criteria Fulfilment and Organ Donation Conversation Questionnaires were used to collect the required data. Statistically, descriptive analyses were performed. We concluded that honestly, regularly, and sufficiently informed relatives of the potential brain-dead donor more readily donate organs, with a positive contribution from the intensive care physician.

An Investigation of Post-Traumatic Growth Experiences Among Living Kidney Donors

More than 1 million patients are estimated to have undergone transplantation in the past years. In recent years, living-donor kidney transplantation accounted for more than 50% of all transplantations. Kidney transplantation from living donors is regarded as a contradictory case to the "do no harm" principle as a major surgical intervention is performed on a normal and healthy person at the expense of recovery of the organ recipient. The purpose of this study was to investigate positive psychological experiences, specifically post-traumatic growth (PTG), among living kidney donors. The sample consisted of a total of 184 kidney donors. The age of donors ranged between 21-76 (mean, 50.76; SD, 10.93). In this study 67.9% of donors were female. The recipients on dialysis group had higher scores than the recipients who did not have dialysis; the mean difference was significant on the subscales of change in life philosophy, change in relationships, change in self-perception, and in the PTGI score. The donors with higher education levels received higher scores on the subscale of change in relationships in comparison with donors with low education. The donors who were married and older than 51 years had higher scores than donors who were not married or younger on the subscale of change in self-perception. This is a single-center study; this center performs more than 500 kidney transplantations per year. There is a good system and experience at each step before and after transplantation for donor and recipient and relatives. It is a really big potential trauma to donate a kidney to your relative; you can change this negative effect to a positive effect with a good system. The present study also showed that when compared with the scale's absolute midpoint, kidney donors in the study sample experienced moderate-to-high levels of PTG.

Withdrawn: Simulated Donor Family Encounters at Organ Transplantation Coordinators In-service Training Course: Process and Impact Evaluation

OBJECTIVE

The study was aimed at introducing the modified version of the organ transplantation coordinator course including simulated donor family encounters (SDFEs), communication skills, and evaluating the participants' opinions, achievement levels, and how they implemented what they learned in the course in their work settings.

METHODS

The course was modified using the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) model and was evaluated in three steps: The participants' views were obtained using the course overall evaluation form and communication skills evaluation form, their success was assessed with the post-test and SDFEs evaluation form, and the effects of what they learned during the course on their work settings were assessed through phone interviews. At this step, the participants were asked to write letters about the targets they intended to achieve in their work settings. The letters were analyzed with the content analysis method, and a questionnaire consisting of 105 targets was developed. A year later the participants were telephoned and asked to what extent they achieved their targets.

RESULTS

The participants' satisfaction from the whole course was high (x: 8.65 ± 1.06). In the communication skills evaluation form, the participants stated that they would mainly use their communication and empathy skills during donor family encounters. The participants' mean post-test score was high (x: 96.0 ± 3.8). During the SDFEs, 70% of the respondents' performance was considered sufficient. Telephone interviews conducted with the questionnaire revealed that 77.6% of the targets were fulfilled.

CONCLUSION

It can be said that the course affected the participants in terms of implementing their knowledge and communication skills related to family encounters.