Research project on Altruistic Living Kidney Donation - participants for interview needed

Research project on Altruistic Living Kidney Donation – participants for interview needed

January 30th, 2010 |

Author: ~DF~

I have been contacted by Annika Hambilton who is a student researcher at the University of Birmingham and she is currently doing a degree in Healthcare ethics and is conducting a research project on altruistic living kidney donation in the UK. She has asked if I will post her request here to see if any altruistic donors or potential ones would assist. The below is the letter she wishes me to post on her behalf.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a medical student at the University of Birmingham. I am writing to invite you to take part in a research study being undertaken for the purpose of my degree.

The study intends to look at the attitudes of people who have donated a kidney to a stranger and those who intend to in the near future, about whether they should be allowed to pick which kind of person receives their kidney. Currently, this is not allowed in the UK. I would also like to look at what factors motivate people to donate their kidney to someone they do not know.

As the number of people who have donated a kidney to someone they do not know is very small in the UK, I would be very grateful if you could spare less than an hour of your time undertaking a telephone interview with me.

If you are interested in taking part in this study please could you email me at the axh690@bham.ac.uk and I will send you some more information about why I am doing this study, what the telephone interview will involve and what will happen to the information you give.

I hope that you will decide to participate in this study, whether you have already donated a kidney to a stranger or if you hope to in the future, as the information produced may be seen by people who make decisions about UK policy on directed donation and organ transplantation at the moment and will provide insight into this unique type of organ donation.

Yours sincerely,
Annika Hambilton
Axh690@bham.ac.uk
Medical student, University of Birmingham

If you know an altrusitic donor (UK based) or someone who is wanting to become one, please let them know about this posting and maybe they can help in the project.