It’s an idea which keeps popping up.
There is a proposal in the state of Illinois legalize “presumed organ donation”.
Most people say that they would agree to donating their organs after they die, but sometimes they “forget” to mark it on their driver’s license, or the consent can’t be found quickly, or the family objects.Voila. Just do like Belgium, and pass a law presuming organ consent. and instant increase in available organs for those dying of failing kidneys, livers, hearts, etc.Lives will be saved. Those with religious scruples or paranoia can simply sign a paper saying they want to opt out. No problem.
In Belgium, only 2 percent of folks bothered to do that.But using Belgium as an example, and then assuming that that tiny affluent country can be compared to the wild and wooly multicultural USA may not recognize the problem.Belgium is the equivalent of suburban and middle class America, and I suspect there will be no problem in that population, no matter what is the ethnicity
However, what about blacks, or other minorities who remember the medical discrimination in the past?
As bioethicist Wesley Smith points out:
The USA is not Europe. We are more individualistic here, and besides, I can think of few things that will sow distrust in the health care system more than presumed consent. Think about it: We already have bioethicists advocating for futile care theory, that is the right to refuse wanted life sustaining treatment based on quality of life judgmentalism, resource allocation, or both. Add in the motive for taking organs to this volatile field–and wary families will become even less trusting, and medical issues will become even more likely to end up in court. Square that if we ever enact explicit health care rationing, or redefine death to include a diagnosis of PVS–as many luminaries in the transplant field advocate.
Translation: Beware of the trends of medical ethics.
One: Some organs are being taken from those who aren’t brain dead, but they are taken off machines and organs removed when their hearts stop.
Two: Texas has a “futile care” law that allows docs to refuse to treat you or your loved ones if they (not you or your family) decide it “won’t help”.
Three: Often “Quality of life.” criteria is included in these decisions
Four: Rationing is coming.
Five, some bioethicists want to extend “brain death” to include those with profound brain damage, but who are able to live for years with minimal care.
Six; One third of those diagnosed as PVS are misdiagnosed; newer ways of diagnosis, including brain scans, suggest it might be higher.
Seven: There are already groups pushing for paying families to donate organs. They seem to think that poor folks will donate organs of their loved ones out of greed when they won’t do it from altruism.
Eight: Right now most folks trust their docs.However, some minorities don’t.All you need is to combine exaggerated rumors of number one to seven, and all you need is a few cases given publicity and voila, a lot of folks will refuse to donate organs, period.
Trust is a fragile thing between docs and patients. It doesn’t take much to destroy that trust.
A better way to increase donation is to use ordinary public relations techniques.Use public service announcements, using celebrities.Add organ donation success stories to TV shows.Continue with  the driver’s license consent cards, and go out to churches, health fairs, schools, and other neighborhood institutions to encourage minorities to donate.I know that we did this at Health fairs,in the casinos and dance festivals for our Native American patients, whose blood types differ from the white population, to encourage registering as bone marrow donors for patients. Donating the organs of loved ones will come from outreach and trust, not coercion.
Nancy Reyes is a retired physician living in the rural Philippines. She blogs at Hey Doc Xanga Blog.Â
6 users commented in " Presuming organ donation consent? Wait a second "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackexcuse the crazy formatting…
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Sigh.
Nancy Reyes
If you don’t want to be an organ donor, the best way to protect your rights is to sign up at http://www.DoNotTransplant.com. It’s the only organ donation registry in the United States that will record your decision not to be a donor.
In most states, organ procurement organizations are required by law to check the DoNotTransplant.com registry before harvesting your organs. If they find your name, the law forbids them from taking your body parts.
I am from the UK and Wales is about to pass law that assumes consent. I think the UK should do that also. Heck when you are dead you are dead why bury or burn your organs when you can save someones life. Yes people are lazy and keep putting off siging the donor register. Make it so they have to sign to opt out instead.
It is nice to see thedonttransplant.com site is TOTALLY FREE to members. Also maybe people in the USA should come and live in Europe especially the UK as some of the facts they give on that website are totally untrue if you live outside of USA. No way in the UK can they use your organs for transplant if you have not signed the donor registry or if your family do not want it. The surgeons would have criminal action taken against them. Rather than get people to refuse to donate organs why dont you try and change the law so organs cannot be removed unless permission given. Then no need to have fear about using your organs when you dont want them to. Assuming of course that USA surgeons can legally remove organs when family (as you state in your website) specifically say they dont want that to happen. All sounds a bit wierd to me …..
I fixed it for you Nancy.
Have a great day 🙂
Jan Barrett – BNN Editor
Well, this one, is very controversial. Did you know that the main export of China is organs? I was supposed to go to China in 1994. I read up on China and, the fact that they jailed Christians and actually killed them to sell organs on the market. I refused to go, and, led to the break up of my relationship with guy, along with I chose to take care of my mother who had Alzheimers. It sounds so humane to give up your organs when you die. But, how do you know, that you may have a determined chance of living, and, they could make a bunch of money from the donation? Mostly only the rich can afford this, poor people still die.
I watched a documentary of a little girl receiving a heart and the day by day experience. I was overwhelmed, and, she was so swollen with anti rejection drugs, to be taken the rest of her life. Was she happy? God only knows but, after all that, she then needed another heart. I could not put my child through all that pain.
I had a friend, that had some heart attack which put her into a coma. The doctors told her husband that she had no brain activity, and, yes, she was going to donate her organs. Her husband, told them to give her 48 more hours, and, he would decide after that. 12 hours later, she woke up and went home. Doctor shook his head. Go figure. She lived long enough that for years she was taking care of her husband with cancer. About 12 years later, she had another heart attack and died. I told her to take her name off the list.
I would not mind things like for burn victims to donate my skin or eyes or something, but,. thinking how many zillions of dollars are made doing this, would someone who could not afford this ever get a chance? Or just for the rich people?
When transplants are free to all people, then, I may consider this.
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