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Informed consent and the process of cadaver donation
Christine S Chung1, Lisa Soleymani Lehmann
1Harvard Medical School and the Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass 02115, USA.
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
|August 13, 2002
Summary
Informed consent for cadaver donation is lacking at US medical schools. Most institutions fail to adequately inform potential donors about dissection procedures, hindering truly informed consent.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Bioethics
- Anatomical Sciences
Background:
- Informed consent is a process, not just a signature, requiring adequate information for voluntary decisions.
- The specifics of informed consent procedures for cadaver donation remain under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate current informed consent practices for cadaver donation at a sample of U.S. medical schools.
- To assess the adequacy of information provided to potential cadaver donors.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted.
- Content analysis of informational brochures and consent forms from 22 large U.S. medical schools was performed.
Main Results:
- 82% mentioned altruism; 96% stated bodies would be used for teaching; 73% for research.
- Only 9% described dissection procedures, and none offered a complete account.
- 32% used the term 'dissect', but detailed information was scarce.
Conclusions:
- Current consent procedures at U.S. medical schools are insufficient for fully informed consent.
- Potential donors often lack critical details about how cadavers are used, particularly regarding dissection.