Consenting to Donate Organs: Whose Wishes Carry the Most Weight?

Abstract

An experimental simulation methodology examined how people weigh the wishes of the donor and the next‐of‐kin in recommending whether the latter should consent to donate the organs of a deceased loved one. Subjects read several brief stories, each describing a young adult who had died suddenly and whose kin faced the decision of whether to donate their loved one's organs. Each scenario had four versions, identical except for minor wording changes providing information about the organ donation wish of the potential donor and the next‐of‐kin. Subjects indicated “yes,”“no,” or “I'm undecided” about whether the kin should donate the organs. Subjects weighted the wishes of the deceased much more heavily than their own or those of the next‐of‐kin when those wishes were stated directly. When the deceased's wishes had to be inferred indirectly, attitudes of the next‐of‐kin and the experimental subject affected the decision much more. Implications for organ procurement practice are considered.