Open AccessThe European Donor Hospital Education Programme (EDHEP): addressing the training needs of doctors and nurses who break bad news, care for the bereaved, and request donation
Author(s) -
Blok GEKE A.,
Dalen JAN,
Jager KITTY J.,
Ryan MIRIAM,
Wijnen RENÉ M.H.,
Wight CELIA,
Morton JULIET M.,
Morley MIKE,
Cohen BERNARD
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
transplant international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.998
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1432-2277
pISSN - 0934-0874
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-2277.1999.tb00601.x
Subject(s) - donation , medicine , organ donation , competence (human resources) , trainer , economic shortage , nursing , teamwork , family medicine , end of life care , transplantation , psychology , palliative care , social psychology , surgery , linguistics , philosophy , government (linguistics) , computer science , political science , law , economics , programming language , economic growth
The competence of critical care staff when it comes to death and organ donation can make the difference between a family's agreeing to or refusing the latter. Doctors and nurses often feel uncomfortable approaching relatives about donation and attribute this to a lack of training. Bereaved relatives express dissatisfaction with inappropriate communication and support when brain death is announced and thereafter when a request for donation is made. The European Donor Hospital Education Programme (EDHEP) was designed to meet the training needs of critical care staff in breaking bad news, caring for the bereaved, and requesting donation. EDHEP is a two‐part educational package consisting of a presentation about the donor shortage followed by a one‐day workshop. The implementation of EDHEP throughout the world has been facilitated through effective national working groups and standardised “train the trainer” courses. Several countries anecdotally report increases in donation following implementation. Controlled evaluation of the effects) of EDHEP, which started at the end of 1995, focuses on the satisfaction of the participants with EDHEP, on the competence of the participants in breaking bad news and requesting donation, on the teamwork regarding death and donation, on the satisfaction of bereaved relatives, and on organ donation rates.