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Presumed consent, autonomy, and organ donation
1Department of Philosophy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. gillm@u.arizona.edu
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
|September 29, 2004
Summary
Presumed consent for organ donation, where consent is assumed after death, is a moral improvement over the current US system. This policy ethically maximizes organ procurement while respecting autonomy.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Public Health Policy
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- The current US organ donation system operates on a presumed consent model, assuming individuals do not wish to donate organs post-mortem.
- This approach faces ethical challenges regarding respect for autonomy and informed consent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ethical implications of presumed consent for cadaveric organ procurement.
- To argue that presumed consent represents a moral advancement over the current US organ donation system.
Main Methods:
- Ethical analysis of presumed consent versus explicit consent models in organ donation.
- Comparative assessment of potential violations of autonomy under different consent systems.
Main Results:
- Implementing presumed consent is argued to be a moral improvement, ethically maximizing organ procurement.
- While removing organs from those who did not consent is unfortunate, it is morally equivalent to not procuring organs from those who wished to donate.
- Presumed consent is projected to result in fewer instances of non-consensual organ removal compared to the current system.
Conclusions:
- Presumed consent for cadaveric organ procurement offers a more ethically sound framework for organ donation.
- This policy ethically balances the need for organ transplantation with respect for individual autonomy.
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