Organ Transplants: The Costs of Success

Abstract

The current U.S. policy of "encouraged volunteerism" for the\nprocurement of organs for transplantation is judged to be a failure. Demand\nis not being met, a complex and inefficient network of profit-making and\nnot-for-profit procurement agencies has developed, and the opportunity for\ninformed consent by relatives or friends in emergency situations is seen to be\na "charade." Caplan advocates a public policy of "presumed consent" whereby\nhospitals may harvest all suitable cadaver organs unless objection is\nindicated by family members or by the individual beforehand. He also proposes\nthe establishment of a national registry of consenting organ donors to\nexpedite tissue matching and to eliminate present surreptitious searching of\nexisting data banks, and a national agency to evaluate and regulate transplant\nprograms and to develop guidelines for patient selection. (KIE abstract)