Exploring family attitudes toward organ donation among donor and nondonor families

To increase organ donation, understanding the factors that influence a family’s decision to donate or not is essential to developing effective strategies to alleviate the current donor shortage. By concentrating on the lived experiences and perspectives of both donors’ and non-donors’ families, this study aims to uncover the intricate interactions that shape these critical decisions. The goal of this study was to investigate the factors that affect families’ decisions regarding organ donation, particularly through the experiences of both donors’ and non-donors’ families. The present study was conducted using a qualitative method and conventional content analysis approach (CCA) following Graneheim and Lundman’s approach. Sixteen family members of donors and non-donors were included in the study through a purposive sampling method. Data were gathered by using semi structured interviews. Participants were 10 females and 6 males; the mean age of families was 54.73 ± 21.49 years. Data analysis led to the emergence of two themes: Organ Donation Coordinators’ Characters including coordinator’s communication competence, expertise, and empathetic demeanor, comprehension of the concept of brain death, clinical and psychological expertise, sufficient information about the patient’s record, timing of the request, setting in which the request is made, type of medical staff behavior towards family; and personal values, including trust in healthcare systems, cultural issues, emotional distress, religious belief, along with 37 categories. The characteristics and behavior of coordinators shape the families’ beliefs about the organ donation process, the circumstances under which requests are made, and their personal and cultural values. Effective communication, a respectful environment, and cultural sensitivity are crucial for facilitating acceptance and informed decision-making regarding organ donation.