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. 2022 Dec 30;17(12):e0277792.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277792. eCollection 2022.

A qualitative systematic review of anonymous/unspecified living kidney and liver donors' perspectives

Wen Hui Lim  1 , Kai En Chan  1 , Cheng Han Ng  1 , Darren Jun Hao Tan  1 , Phoebe Wen Lin Tay  1 , Yip Han Chin  1 , Jie Ning Yong  1 , Jieling Xiao  1 , Clarissa Elysia Fu  1 , Benjamin Nah  2 , Ho Yee Tiong  1   3   4 , Nicholas Syn  1 , Kamala Devi  1 , Konstadina Griva  5 , Loey Lung Yi Mak  6 , Daniel Q Huang  1   2   3 , James Fung  7 , Mohammad Shadab Siddiqui  8 , Mark Muthiah  1   2   3 , Eunice X X Tan  1   2   3
Affiliations

A qualitative systematic review of anonymous/unspecified living kidney and liver donors' perspectives

Wen Hui Lim et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objectives & background: Anonymous live organ donors or unspecified donors are individuals willing to be organ donors for any transplant recipient with whom they have no biological or antecedent emotional relationship. Despite excellent recipient outcomes and the potential to help address organ scarcity, controversy surrounds the unconditional act of gifting one's organs to an unrelated recipient. This qualitative systematic review provides insights into the first-hand experiences, motivations, and challenges that unspecified donors face.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science database for qualitative literature regarding unspecified living donors' motivations and experiences in liver and kidney transplantation. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to generate themes and supportive subthemes.

Results: 12 studies were included. The four major themes were (i) motivations, (ii) perception of risks, (iii) donor support, and (iv) benefits of donation. Unspecified donors demonstrated a deep sense of social responsibility but tended to underestimate health risks in favour of benefits for recipients. Despite the lack of emotional support from family and friends, the decision to donate was a resolute personal decision for donors. Majority benefitted emotionally and did not express regret.

Conclusion: This qualitative review bridges the gap in literature on unspecified living donor psychology and provides a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making matrix and experiences of donors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flowchart of included articles.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Thematic scheme.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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