Organ Donation in the Modern World - Essay Example

RUNNING HEAD: Essay - Organ Donation Student Name Student Number Unit Title/Number Essay – Organ Donation Due Date Unit Coordinator 1.0 Introduction Since 1954, when the first kidney transplant was done to signal development in the field of organ transplant, the procedure has moved from experimental concept to a viable and plausible option of solving problems associated with organ failures.1 However, getting a compatible donor is not an easy process. Moreover, the perception of the public on the significance of organ donation in medical field has not received that much required attention.2 Public relations are critical in creating positive image of an individual or organisation within the public domain.3 Thus the same principles in PR can be applied to create a positive image among the public about importance of organ donation thereby moving the concept from being a merely a health issues to a public relations issue. The principal focus of this discourse is to discuss the fact that “in today’s modern society, organ donation is a public relations issue and not just a health issue”. 2.0 Organ Donation In earlier years, an organ failure meant death. Currently, the organ transplant works on the premise of replacing dysfunctional human organ with a healthy one from a compatible donor. This has contributed to enhanced medical care for people who would have died earlier than anticipated. From a normative perspective, donation of a body organ is based on ones willingness without coercion if he or she is alive and on family consent if the person is deceased.4 This development offers a ray of hope to various patients with ailments that might require a new organ. Organ donation is a highly controlled field so as to control human trafficking. The rules are laid out on how one can procure the same.5 3.0 Public Relations Communication forms the basis of public relations. Communication is an important medium of building relationship between two parties. Public relations are a great tool in building psychological effects.6 In this context it can be between possible donors and the hospital or any other medical institution. Communication can empower an individual or an organisation to build a trust with its clients or other stakeholders and thus, a possibility of controlling their behaviour.7 In this regards, the behaviour would be to cajole the public to be proactive in organ donation agenda as opposed to the health issue which is based on altruism. Public relation can be seen as the deliberate effort to create and sustain goodwill and close working rapport between the public and an organisation. The ultimate aim is the reputation of a company, product or a process. In this regard, PR aims at ensuring that right information reaches the target audience whom might be a customer or for our context patients and prospective donors.8 4.0 Public Relations Issues in Organ Donation An issue is a topic that elicits a mixed reaction depending on ones perception on the same. To create a vivid picture so as to affirm or dispute the thesis statement under consideration, it is integral to establish the nexus between public relations and organ donation. However, before creating the nexus, it is equally critical to examine the existing situation or approach that has been adopted in organ donation and the associated shortcomings and how public relations can be used to remedy the same. The first interesting observation is grounded on the fact that there is a significant shortage of available organs for transplant as compared to those in need of the same. For instance, by 2005, there were 91, 000 patients in the US who were suffering from end-stage failure and were listed Organ Procurement and Transplantation.9 The question is that what causes this shortfall. It is equally observed that as the list of those waiting to be served grows, more people perish because organ delivery never materialises. The contention arises out of the fact that it is difficult to allocate this important resource.10 There have been numerous suggestions on how to manage the same. Some proposals are based on economic principles while others are based on Kantian ethics. However, the answer lies with the strategy of increasing supply. Despite of this solution the question is how does the medical practitioners act to encourage people to be ready to donate their organs so as to increase the supply? The answer lies with public relation measures. It is prudent to establish what has contributed to such situation yet there are organs like eye cornea which can be donated by individuals immediately after their death yet they are not willing to do so. The problem is attributed to two factors. The first is the mode in which organ transplant has been handled and secondly, the lack of publicity by PR practitioners in the medical field on urging people on the importance of the same. In most countries across the globe, organ donation has been based on altruistic motive. In this regard, it is upon the donor who feels touched or philanthropic enough to donate his or her body organ. Equally, the approach place much work load on the patient and his care givers to search for the appropriate donor.11 This shows that most health institutions have not engaged on aggressive public relation campaign encouraging the public to donate their body organs while still alive or immediately after death so as to increase organ supply. The other interesting narrative that offers an entry point to establishing public relations in organ transplant is based on the observation that “organ donation focuses on controversial issues, unusual cases and medical breakthrough”. Moreover, news outlets avenues like internet, television and magazines have played a negative role in the same. Most individuals conceptualise organ donation as untouchable topic. Thus, most are affected by negative stories as result of doctor’s negligence in conducting the same. Such concerns are like the 2005 incidence at Biomedical Tissue Services where they stole tissues and bones from dead patients without the consent of the family members of the deceased.12 It is such happenings that cause mistrust in the public, among possible donors and the within the patients. The ripple effect of such is the shortage of donors and the required organs. The concept has struggled in certain aspects to attain legitimacy. Social legitimacy is an important aspect that is used to anchor acceptability of various programmes. In the absence of the same, certain developments are not likely to augur well with human beings depending on the social cultural beliefs. The other public relations issue that undermined the perception on organ transplant is what is termed as ‘the black years’. During 1960s, deaths associated with the procedure were high thus, culminating to negative perceptions. This has never been overcome even with the current trends where the process is much safer and reliable. Hence, the public relations issue in this regard is how PR professionals can apply PR tactics to create a positive image so as to increase awareness and urge to donate. One way that public relations have been applied is through public campaigns. Silverman found out that “campaigns were effective in increasing organ donation registry efforts and awareness among college students”.13 Therefore, the ultimate focus of PR professionals in the health sector would to urge stakeholders like hospitals, non profit organisations and federal government to enhance the possibility of people registering to donate their body organs by reinforcing the process of educating the public about the importance of organ donation.14 This then affirms the fact that in today’s modern society, organ donation is a public relations issues and not just a health issue only. 5.0 Conclusion The underlying premise of this discussion was to assess the statement that “in today’s modern society organ donation is a public relations issue and not a health issue only”. To contextualise/ frame this discussion, the paper first examined the concept of organ transplant in terms of the process & how it works; it equally examined the source of the organ to be transplanted in terms of those who are alive and those who are dead and lastly, the issues that are surrounding the same and how they elicit PR. Secondly, the paper outlined what the concept of public relation is and the role it plays in enhancing image, creation of trust and influence of people’s behaviours. Lastly, the paper established the nexus between the two and the need for public relations. The paper established that the negative news and inadequate information among the public has made organ donation a nightmare since people are suspicious of the process and thus do not willingly see the need for the same in terms of being a donor at life or at death. The paper realised that it is therefore important to embrace public relation so as to enhance the same. Consequently, it was deduced that organ donation is more of public relation that health issue. References Bambacas, Mary and Margaret Patrickson, “Interpersonal communication skills that enhance organisational commitment,” Journal of Communication Management 12, no.1 (2008): 51-72, 10.1108/13632540810854235. Childress, James F. and Catheryn T. Liverman. Organ donation: opportunities for action. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2006. Corona, Brezina. Organ donation: risks, rewards and research. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2010. Grinkovskiy, Petr T. Organ donation: supply, policies and practices. New York: Nova Science, 2009. IPR. “Introduction to public relations,” IPR, last modified 2012, accessed August 6, 2013, http://www.ipr.org.uk/. Mostafa, M. “Profiling organ donors in Egypt using intelligent modelling techniques,” Marketing Intelligence & Planning 26, no. 2 (2008): 166-188, DOI 10.1108/02634500810860610. Petechek, David. Organ transplantation. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. Reber, Bryan H., Baiba Petersone and Bruce K. Berger, “The role of mid-level gatekeepers in mobilizing grassroots activism and encouraging facilitative relationships,” Journal of Communication 14, no. 1 (2010): 32-46, DOI 10.1108/13632541011017799. Silverman, Deborah A. “Organ donation awareness campaigns in the PR campaigns course,” Journalism & Mass Communication Educator 61, no. 4 (2006): 411-428, 10.1177/107769580606100406. Read More