The proposed research project is designed to advance global scientific knowledge of decision making and risk taking amongst candidates for live paired renal transplants. The study will focus upon the transplant team, patient, donor and their social networks in the context of the decision making process, quality and decision readiness to proceed with live paired organs. More specifically, how the transplant team, recipients, donors and patient’s wider social networks communicate knowledge and the manner in which the experience of chronic illness (kidney failure) impacts upon the decision making process.
We are particularly interested to study decision making and risk taking amongst minority groups (e.g. Black and Asian populations) who, according to the NHS Organ Donor Register, are three times as likely to need an organ transplant than their caucasian counterparts, but less likely to donate an organ. Also women, who are more likely to be organ donors and less likely to receive a donor organ, than their male counterparts
