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Cultural considerations for Canadians in the diagnosis of brain death

[Aspects culturels du diagnostic de mort cérébrale au Canada]

From the Department of Bioethicist, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Kerry Bowman, University of Toronto, Joint Centre for Bioethics, 88 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L4, Canada. Phone: 416-946-5057; Fax: 416-978-1911; E-mail: kerry.bowman{at}utoronto.ca

Purpose: This articles explores cultural perceptions and values related to brain death and organ donation from both a Western and non-Western perspective.

Source: Anthropological literature review of the historical concept of brain death in Canada using Eastern culture as a comparison.

Principal findings: Although the concept of brain death and concomitant organ donation have become widely practiced in Western nations such as Canada, from a cross-cultural point of view these concepts and practices can be deeply troubling and may hold profoundly different meaning to people new to Canada.

Conclusions: Canada has a deep commitment and obligation to respect diversity as reflected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Therefore, healthcare workers have an obligation to respect cultural differences. To truly respect cultural differences we must first explore our own culturally formulated belief systems and then consider how our views may interface with other cultures. Our findings call for a greater analysis of the cultural influences on the concept of brain death and organ donation as a means of building a better understanding and respect for cultural diversity.