The solicitation of altruistic kidney donations on Facebook.

Soc Sci Med

Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 12 55128, Germany. Electronic address:

Published: March 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Chronic kidney failure significantly impacts patients' lives, often requiring renal replacement therapy or kidney transplants, with the latter being the preferred but often inaccessible option due to long waiting lists.
  • In Israel, a shift has occurred where most kidney donations come from altruistic living donors, leading to an environment where patients seek donors through digital platforms like Facebook.
  • A study analyzing 76 online solicitation attempts revealed that patients post about their internal struggles and justifications for seeking kidney donations, highlighting the role of social networks in personal health crises and raising questions about the equitable distribution of health resources.

Article Abstract

Chronic kidney failure poses a risk to human life and quality of life. Patients often receive renal replacement therapy or a kidney transplant, with the latter considered superior, though often inaccessible due to long waiting lists. While most kidney donations originate from the deceased, Israel has transformed as the first country where most kidney donations originate from altruistic living donors. This creates a social environment in which patients are tasked with kidney solicitation which often occurs on digital social networks. This study examines the phenomenon of digital kidney solicitation by employing a thematic analysis of 76 attempts of solicitation on Facebook. The analysis revealed the act of digital solicitation comprises of reflecting the inner conflicts of solicitation and justifying the kidney donation both in general and for the particular solicitor. This study sheds light on the phenomenon of people with kidney failure attempting to save their own lives through digital social networks. A phenomenon that could influence the social-health debate concerning the fair distribution of health resources in society.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116615DOI Listing

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