Donor-family / Recipient Communications
Guidelines for Communication Between Donor Families and Transplant Recipients
Responding to the need expressed by donor families and recipients of organ and tissue transplants to receive information about, and communicate with one another, a task force comprised of major national transplant organizations has created guidelines for communication between the two groups.
The guidelines are based upon the belief that donor families and recipients have the right to choose whether they wish to communicate with each other, and health care professionals are in a position to make these opportunities available to both parties.
Previously, when donor families and transplant recipients began challenging the status quo, there was inconsistent follow-up with families after donation and many health care professionals believed that donor families and recipients should not communicate with each other." "Not only did this leave the involved parties unfulfilled, we found that sometimes it discouraged organ donations. Families who received little or no information about the recipients of their loved one's organs were less likely to donate again or recommend it to others, and sometimes, even actively campaigned against organ donation.
Above: TRIO past president, 'JT' Rhodes, and TRIO treasurer, James Mateiko, listen intently to a presentation
on Donor Communications at a Leadership Summit workshop