Supporting families of deceased organ donors should be the cornerstone of organ donation programs, yet there are gaps in Canada’s system. New research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides 20 suggestions from family members on how to improve support for grieving loved ones.
In Canada, families are asked about organ donation after either determination of brain death or a decision to withdraw life-sustaining care.
“Families need better support at key moments during the donation process, such as when their family member’s body is taken to the operating room, when organs cannot be used and when decision-makers are leaving the hospital after donation surgery,” writes Dr. Aimee Sarti, a critical care physician at The Ottawa Hospital, with coauthors. “Participants’ feelings of abandonment and poor-to-little support after their family member’s organ donation provides empirical evidence needed to catalyze structured changes in the way hospitals and organ donation organizations provide support to families of organ donors.”
The study by members of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group included in-depth interviews with 271 family members of patients admitted to pediatric and adult intensive care units in Canada. Participants were recruited from organ donation programs across the country’s 10 provinces. Three themes with suggestions emerged from the family interviews:
Comprehensive support around time of donation, such as
- support from people with similar experience
- more assistance from hospital staff
- consideration of a designated support person
- support when the body of a loved one was taken to the operating room
Connections with recipient(s) after the donation
- Some families wanted to know if the donation helped the recipient
- Others wanted to be connected with the organ recipient(s) when mutually agreeable
- Family members noted that the desire to know the recipient(s)’ health status was entwined with their own grieving process
Improving support after donation, such as
- more follow-up from the organ donor organization or hospital
- communication after leaving hospital about what organs were recovered
- respecting where the family is in its grieving process
The authors urge hospitals and organ donation programs to implement these suggestions — several of which are not new — immediately.
“The experiences of family members of deceased organ donors and suggestions to improve the donation process: a qualitative study” is published August 8, 2022
