A Qualitative Study on Gratitude and Recognition Toward Living Kidney Donors

Kidney transplantation is widely recognized as the best treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, its development is limited by the persistent shortage of available organs. Living donor kidney transplantation offers the best functional and survival outcomes, yet the number of procedures remains insufficient.

Living kidney donation relies on a voluntary and altruistic act by a healthy individual who accepts surgery without direct medical benefit. This act of generosity raises important questions regarding how society acknowledges and values such commitment. The lack of formal recognition may contribute to the psychological burden experienced by some donors and may not adequately reflect the gratitude of the medical community and society toward them.

This study aims to explore the perceptions of living kidney donors regarding the potential implementation of a symbolic form of recognition (for instance, a commemorative medal) offered after donation. The hypothesis is that such recognition could improve donors' post-donation experience and strengthen the societal value associated with living organ donation, while fully respecting ethical principles prohibiting any financial reward.

This is a qualitative, monocentric study based on semi-structured interviews with individuals who have donated a kidney. The interviews will focus on donors' motivations, their personal experience of donation, and their opinions about different possible forms of post-donation recognition. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and perspectives.

The main endpoint is the identification of thematic categories related to donors' perception of post-donation recognition and its potential impact on their experience. Secondary objectives include exploring donors' expectations regarding societal gratitude, their views on the symbolic value of such recognition, and the potential influence on future donor engagement.

The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the ethical reflection surrounding the acknowledgment of living donors, support initiatives promoting non-financial recognition, and help develop respectful and meaningful ways of expressing societal gratitude toward those who make the gift of life possible.