Winning hearts and minds: using psychology to promote voluntary organ donation

Abstract

Recent psychological research concerning determinants of and barriers to organ donation is reviewed with the intention of ascertaining acceptable and potentially effective ways of improving organ retrieval. On the basis of this review, five recommendations are made. (1) Individuals' donation wishes, where explicit, should be decisive. (2) Next of kin should witness donor decisions. (3) Mandated choice should replace voluntary 'opting-in'. (4) Initial donation choices should be repeatedly re-evaluated. (5) Those involved in organ procurement should distance themselves from model of bodies as machines or gardens and embrace models where bodies are viewed as sacred extensions of self. In combination, these recommendations are argued to be preferable in several ways to opt-out/presumed consent procurement options.