From empowerment to commitment: let’s help silent organ donors to talk to their next-of-kin

Abstract

International audience

Having an organ donor card is not enough to ensure that the will of the defunct shall be respected, for medical professionals are reluctant to counter siblings’ minds. It is therefore important that cardholders inform their next-of-kin of their willingness to be an organ donor (OD) to save more patients waiting for transplants. Based on empowerment theory, this research proposes to highlight the role of competency, self-confidence and power of persuasion in the choice of donors to communicate (versus not communicate) to their siblings their decision as well as the impact of such a conversation on the confidence they have that their will shall be respected. Results also demonstrate that taboo of death prevents this discussion. Thus a “foot-in-the-door procedure” using blood donation, as a preparatory act, is proposed alongside with the conception of a new donor card to initiate discussion with relatives about OD decision. Other propositions are also made to diminish the number of people who adhere to the death taboo. Finally, managerial implications are developed.

De l'empowerment à l'engagement : aidons les donneurs d'organes silencieux à parler à leurs proches, Décisions Marketing, 89, 11-28. Résumé Avoir une carte de donneur d'organes n'est pas suffisant pour s'assurer que la volonté du défunt sera respectée, car le corps médical répugne à contrer l'avis des proches. Il est donc important que les porteurs de cartes expriment à leurs proches leur volonté de dons d'organes (DO) pour permettre de sauver plus de patients qui sont en attente de greffe. Cette recherche propose, à partir de la théorie de l'empowerment, de montrer le rôle positif de la compétence, de la confiance en soi et de la force de la conviction dans le choix des donneurs de parler à leurs proches de leur décision, ainsi que de l'impact qu'a cette discussion sur la confiance qu'ils ont que leur volonté sera respectée. Les résultats montrent éga-lement la force du tabou de la mort pour empêcher la discussion. C'est ainsi qu'une procédure de pied-dans-la-porte utilisant le don du sang comme acte préparatoire, ainsi que la conception d'une nouvelle carte de donneur sont propo-sées pour amener à discuter avec les proches. D'autres propositions sont également faites pour diminuer le nombre de personnes qui adhèrent au tabou de la mort. Des actions de communications adaptées sont également proposées. Mots-clés : don d'organes, discussion avec les proches, marketing social, marketing de la santé, empowerment, engagement, pied-dans-la-porte. Abstract From empowerment to commitment: let's help silent organ donors to talk to their next-of-kin Having an organ donor card is not enough to ensure that the will of the defunct shall be respected, for medical professionals are reluctant to counter siblings' minds. It is therefore important that cardholders inform their next-of-kin of their willingness to be an organ donor (OD) to save more patients waiting for transplants. Based on empowerment theory, this research proposes to highlight the role of competency, self-confidence and power of persuasion in the choice of donors to communicate (versus not communicate) to their siblings their decision as well as the impact of such a conversation on the confidence they have that their will shall be respected. Results also demonstrate that taboo of death prevents this discussion. Thus a "foot-in-the-door procedure" using blood donation, as a preparatory act, is proposed alongside with the conception of a new donor card to initiate discussion with relatives about OD decision. Other propositions are also made to diminish the number of people who adhere to the death taboo. Finally, managerial implications are developed.