Why Do They Persist? Understanding Living Kidney Donors and Persistence

Many participants persist through the living kidney donation process, although it is challenging, multifaceted, and burdensome, particularly during the predonation evaluation (PDE) phase. This study uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyze the experiences of living kidney donors (LKDs) undergoing evaluation who shared their perspectives in blog reflections. One hundred five (105) blog posts met the inclusion criteria. They generated three overarching themes: (1) Facilitators to completing the PDE qualification process, (2) Burdens experienced during the PDE qualification process, and (3) Tools to mitigate burdens or enhance facilitators. Internal facilitators, such as the desire to help and other motivating emotions, emerged as key drivers for LKDs to persist through the donation process. Religious belief or faith, an external facilitator, is also crucial in motivating donors. Conversely, internal burdens, such as doubts, fears, financial concerns, and health risks, posed challenges to the donation process. External burdens also included recipient relationship management, delays and setbacks, poor communication, qualification testing, lack of support, and being denied as a donor. This study's findings shed light on the complex interplay between burdens, facilitators, and tools in shaping the experiences of LKDs during the PDE, which enabled their persistence through the process and highlights a potential persistence spectrum. The insights gained from this research can inform interventions to better support living kidney donors throughout their donation journey, enhancing the overall donor experience and potentially increasing the number of living kidney donations.