Presumed consent could increase donor rates
Presumed consent could increase donor rates
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Thursday, 15, Jan 2009 08:19
A system of presumed consent for organ donation may increase the number of donors, new research claims.
In 2006, the UK Organ Donation Taskforce was set up to try and discover potential barriers to people donating. Last year it recommended a total overhaul of the transplant services to boost the donor rate but advised against a system of presumed consent.
A study published on bmj.com today discovered a significant link between increased organ donation and presumed consent – in one example there was an estimated 30 per cent higher rate of donation.
However, the authors emphasise presumed consent alone was probably not responsible for higher donor rates, and that other factors needed to be taken into account.
These include mortality from road traffic accidents, the number of transplant centres and coordinators and health expenditure. Public awareness and religion are also believed to have an influence.
The authors claim their study could be a useful stepping stone to future research.
"Further work is required to investigate factors at the personal level that may modify donor rates such as how families are approached to discuss donation of a relative's organs. A review of qualitative research addressing these issues would be useful," they write.