The Psychosocial Issues and the Support System among Japanese who Received Cardiac Organ Transplant Overseas

2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14572305
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical nursing
• Research Institution: TOKYO WOMEN'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF NURSING
• Principal Investigator: TERAMACHI Yuko TOKYO WOMEN'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF NURSING, PROFESSOR, 看護学部, 教授 (30188685)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): EBISAWA Mutsumi TOKYO WOMEN'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF NURSING, ASSISTANT, 看護学部, 助手 (60349777) ; NOZOE Miki TOKYO WOMEN'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF NURSING, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 看護学部, 講師 (10307647)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2003
• Keywords: CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION / RECIPIENT / PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUE

Research Abstract

Cardiac transplantation has become a successful treatment method. However, only 17 cardiac transplantations have been performed in Japan since the Organ Transplant Law (1997) was enacted. Many candidates have to go to a foreign country because of domestic organ shortages. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychosocial issues of the Japanese subjects who received cardiac organs in the U.S.or the U.K. The research was a qualitative study where we interviewed 20 organ recipients and their family members. The age ranged from 17 to 50 year-old, and they had cardiac transplantation from 6 months to 11 years ago.
The results showed that the subjects who went to other countries underwent extra difficulties. The factors identified included "accessibility to the transplant medical services", "communication in a foreign language", "looking for their housing", "burden costs or difficulties of commuting to the ambulatory clinic", and "costs of stay near the ambulatory clinic". The organ recipients and their family members had social support from the doctors, transplant coordinators, nurses, and volunteers. Some obtained their medical funds from non-profit organizations or private individuals. The subjects showed ambivalent feelings such as a sense of gratitude as well as burden towards receiving the medical funds. Subjects preferred to receive cardiac transplantations in Japan mostly because of the high expenses overseas and the agony of separation from their family and home. Some felt that the Japanese did not know about organ transplantation, so that they wanted to talk about their life that was so improved.
Based on these data, we deduce that nurses caring for these recipients need to assess the recipients' and family members' problems or feelings and to understand their needs. In addition, nurses need to manage and coordinate the organ recipients' problems with other medical staffs such as the transplant coordinator.