Film and television often provide misleading information on brain death

Neurologists who examined how brain death and organ donation are portrayed in film and television found that only a small fraction of productions provide the public with a complete and accurate understanding of brain death. In addition, most productions do not provide professional discussions about organ donation.

Because television and movies serve as a key source for public education, the quality of productions that feature brain death must be improved.

"This can only be facilitated by direct communication between the entertainment industry, neurologists, and the transplant community. Although film and television are intended to entertain audiences, the public often treats them as sources of education, so it is important for productions to be both compelling and informative," said Dr. Ariane Lewis, co-author of the American Journal of Transplantation study.