Communication of Death in the Context of Infant-Child Donation: Best Practices for Creating Family Interview for Organ and Tissue Donation

Abstract

Objective: To analyze evidence capable of supporting best practices available in the literature to create dialogues about organ and tissue donation with parents of deceased children and adolescents.

Methods: An integrative literature review performed using Scopus, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science database, and SciELo electronic libraries from November of 2013 to November of 2018, using keyword syntax for each database. The categories were developed using the Alicante model.

Results: A total of 745 articles were identified, with 7 selected for analysis. The information obtained was grouped into 3 categories: death communication, which indicates the importance of using simple and clear words; emotional support, which reveals the need to respect family time and the importance of empathy and compassion; and donation information, which punctuates the importance of dissociating communication about the death from that regarding organ donation.

Conclusions: Evidence shows that best practices are the use of simple language, respect for the family during the grieving process, and the importance of establishing different situations in which to communicate about the death and the donation process.