Future Lawyers Support Organ Donation and Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Medical Law
• Bioethics
• Public Health

Background:

• Poland faces increasing demand for organ transplants, with 1469 procedures in 2016 and 1600 patients monthly on waiting lists.
• Despite growing public acceptance, ethical, moral, and legal barriers persist in organ transplantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess law students' attitudes towards organ procurement and transplantation in Poland.
• To identify factors influencing willingness for organ donation among future legal professionals.

Main Methods:

• A diagnostic survey was conducted among 347 law students at the University of Bialystok, Poland.
• A questionnaire was used to gather data on attitudes towards organ donation from living and deceased donors, including family members.

Main Results:

• Over 95% of students accepted organ procurement from both living and deceased donors.
• More than 80% would agree to donate their organs after death and from family members, though acceptance rates for family donation were lower.
• Emotions related to death (89%) and religion (47.6%) were primary reasons for refusal, with 80.1% believing families should make the final donation decision.

Conclusions:

• Law students exhibit a generally positive attitude towards organ transplantation but show decreased acceptance when it involves family members.
• Future lawyers emphasize the need for education on organ transplantation, with a proposed management role for patients, donors, and universities.