The obstacles to organ donation following brain death in Iran: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Organ donation following brain death has become an important way of supplying organs for transplantation in many countries. This practice is less common in Iran for different reasons. Therefore, this study aims to explore the obstacles to organ donation following brain death in Iran. Methods: This qualitative research was conducted following the conventional content analysis method. The study population consisted of individuals with a history of brain death among their blood relatives who refused to donate the organs. Snowball sampling was employed to select the participants. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted for data gathering. Theoretical saturation was achieved through 20 interviews. Data analysis was done following the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to ensure data rigor and transferability of the study. Results: Data analyses revealed 185 codes, 23 categories, and seven themes including, poor knowledge about brain death and organ transplantation from a dead body, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, deficiencies of requesting process, fear and concerns, inability to make a decision, and social learning. Conclusion: There were several factors in families' reluctance to donate organs of a brain-dead patient. Through improving knowledge and changing cultural beliefs in society, it is possible to take large steps towards promoting organ donation from brain-dead patients.

Facilitators and Barriers in the Organ Donation Process: A Qualitative Study among Nurse Transplant Coordinators

“…Furthermore, it is necessary to point out the existence of patient and family barriers based on cultural and religious influences, which can condition the acceptance of the transplant. In Iran, Abbasi et al [35] showed how poor knowledge about brain death and organ transplantation from a dead body, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, deficiencies of the requesting process, fears and concerns, and the inability to make a decision were important barriers to accepting organ donation by families and relatives.…”

Attitude and knowledge about Organ Donation among Nurses in Croatia, A Single-center Cross-sectional Study

“…Most of our participants were religious. However, the majority of Croatian population is Catholic and given that the Catholic Church has a positive attitude regarding organ donation, these reasons remain somewhat unclear [31].…”

“…Some authors state that organ donation is a unique social activity where there is a direct impact of the health professionals on to a wide range of patients [49]. Therefore, it is important to increase awareness and knowledge on the topic, as well as to provide social and mental support to the included parties [31].…”

Opinions of healthcare students on organ and tissue donation for transplantation

“…Although part of society views organ donation as an act of solidarity and love (8) , there are negative beliefs around the subject, related to lack of knowledge about the process, which influence individuals in the decision to donate or not their and/or their relatives' organs and tissues (1,(9)(10) . In Brazil, Law No.…”

“…10.211/2001 (11) determines that, for organ donation, there must be a diagnosis of brain death and the informed consent of relatives up to the second degree. These family members often decline to donate due to many reasons, such as: not understanding the situation; religious beliefs; fear of mutilation and threat to the entirety of the body; organ trade; professional negligence; impossibility of knowing the recipient; fear of the reaction of other family members; or inappropriate interview (5,7,10,(12)(13) .…”