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SOC 573 Organ Donation. James G. Anderson, Ph.D. Purdue University. Organ Donations. In the U.S. 2 million persons die each year. 25,000 are suitable for organ donation Only one out of six donate organs 57,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for organs
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SOC 573 Organ Donation James G. Anderson, Ph.D. Purdue University
Organ Donations • In the U.S. 2 million persons die each year. 25,000 are suitable for organ donation • Only one out of six donate organs • 57,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for organs • 10 people die every 18 minutes from lack of an organ
Organ Donations • In Indiana in 1997, 65 families approached health care officials about organ donations • In 1997, there were only 86 organ donors in Indiana • 640 Indiana residents are on the waiting list for organs
Current Organ Donation Policy • The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1968 provides for voluntary donations of organs • National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 makes the purchase of human organs, even cadaveric organs, a felony. • Congress enacted “routine inquiry” legislation in 1986 mandating that hospitals that receive Medicare/Medicaid funds establish protocols to ask families of potential donors to consider donating organs
Other Organ Procurement Policies • Mandated choice • Presumed consent. The adoption of such laws in 3 European countries has resulted in a dramatic increase in the availability of organs ( 183% between 1984 and 1988). • Change the brain death rule
Other Organ Procurement Policies • Should human organs be bought or sold? A survey found that 79% of the public said NO. • Reasons why organ donation should not be compensated: • 82% Organ donation should be an act of altruism • 70% Human body should not be treated as a commodity • 41% Would encourage families to withhold medical care • 28% Would not substantially increase the number of organs
Other Organ Procurement Policies • Anencephalic neonates • Non-heart beating donors • Siblings/relatives through suicide or birth • Executed Prisoners • Nonessential organs/tissue from incompetent persons • Animals • Fetal tissue/stem cells • Cloning
Current Organ Allocation Policy • The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) coordinates transplantation services nationwide • Individual -transplant centers and regional organ-provider organizations must belong to the UNOS in order to receive Medicare/Medicaid funding • The GAO was critical of the UNOS for not ensuring that organs are allocated strictly on the basis of medical criteria
Other Organ Allocation Policies • Insurance coverage for organ transplants • Medical Efficacy • Social criteria for allocation • Age • Lifestyle • Fault • Incarceration • Family support • Retransplantation after rejection • Social Utility