Organ donation: Professional support in the diagnosis of brain death from the perspective of family members
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2025.85432Keywords:
Brain Death, Tissue and Organ Procurement, Health Personnel, Family, User EmbracementAbstract
Objective: to understand family members’ perceptions of the welcoming provided by health professionals in the approach to organ donation after a diagnosis of brain death. Method: this is a descriptive and qualitative study conducted with family members who experienced the process of determining brain death in a hospital environment. Data collection was performed between September and December 2023 through in-depth face-to-face interviews, guided by a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with the ATLAS.ti® software. Approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee. Results: ten family members participated in the study, revealing three themes: Determining death: barriers in communication and access to information; Communicating death: professionals involved during the BD protocol and the moment of communicating bad news; and Final outcome: immortalizing life. Final considerations: communication was considered essential to ensure quality and humanization in family reception, although it does not directly influence organ donation. There is a need for training to promote adequate reception.
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