title: Life and death decisions: using school-based health education to facilitate family discussion about organ and tissue donation.
abstract: Public education that encourages family discussions about organ and tissue donation can enhance understanding, facilitate a donor's wishes and increase the numbers of donations. Action research methods were used to explore the impact of a student-initiated family discussion about donation. Most discussions were positive; only 7% middle school and 4% high school participants described them as "terrible." "Getting it started" was the most difficult. High school students felt "very" or "somewhat" prepared, whereas middle school students only felt "somewhat prepared". Guided family discussions ensure that families have accurate information about donation and an opportunity to talk about end-of-life choices in a non-crisis situation.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, 630 Baldy Hall, Box 601050, Buffalo, NY 14260-1050, USA. dwaldrop@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Deborah P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Waldrop
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tamburlin
authors.forename: Sanna J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D014180:Transplantation / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States