Donors in chains: psychosocial outcomes of kidney donors in paired exchange.

Background: Kidney paired donation chains are initiated by nondirected donors and propagated by donors within the chain of transplants, or chain donors.

Objective: To compare psychosocial and functional outcomes, and to test coercion, of chain donors in paired exchange versus traditional directed donors who have an established relationship with the recipient.

Methods: Thirty chain donors from a transplant center who were part of the National Kidney Registry paired exchange program were compared with 34 traditional donors who donated around the same time. Participants completed online surveys: the postdonation section of the Living Donor Expectancies Questionnaire was used to assess psychosocial and functional outcomes 1 to 6 years after donation. A survey to assess coercion was used as well.

Results: Chain donors and traditional donors were similar in terms of sex, race, age, and time after donation. The 2 groups had similar altruistic motives in donating their kidney, and both types of donors mentioned psychological benefits. No differences were found on questions regarding psychosocial outcomes save for the "quid pro quo scale" (P= .01), which suggested that the traditional donors felt more that the recipients are indebted to them. The 2 groups did not differ significantly in the coercion measure. Pressure to donate and stress of donation were not greater in chain donors than traditional donors (P= .60).

Conclusion: Kidney donors in kidney paired donation chains do as well as traditional donors psychosocially without any increased tendency toward experiencing coercion.