Management of related donor care: a European survey.
Donating BM or peripheral stem cells is a challenging process that requires a considerable commitment on the part of the donating individual, especially when there is a relationship between donor and recipient. In order to develop a better understanding of related donor management, the research subcommittee of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation-Nurses Group (EBMT-NG) designed a questionnaire to survey European transplant centres. This questionnaire investigated several key areas, including guidelines, patient information, donor consent and follow-up services. It was distributed to a sample of delegates (N=150) at the 2005 meeting of the EBMT-NG. Guidelines for the information given to patients were primarily from local (33, 52%), and a combination of local and national (13, 21%) sources. Transplant information was predominantly given to related donors by the recipient's transplant team (36, 57%). A total of 33 (52%) centres indicated that donors were also consented by transplant doctors, whereas 16 (25%) identified that consent was obtained by doctors who were not connected with the transplant team. At present, there is a lack of recognized standardized guidelines for the management of related donors. The development of such guidelines would assist in maintaining patient autonomy, confidentiality and access to accurate and objective information.
Clare
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S
Department of Clinical Haematology, Haematology Nursing Research and Practice Development, University College Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. simon.clare@uclh.nhs.uk
Mank
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Stone
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Davies
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Potting
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Apperley
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JF
D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000592:standards*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D046148:Donor Selection; D005060:Europe; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement