What Intensivists Say About an Opt-Out System for Organ Donation

Singapore has had an opt-out organ donation system since the inception of the Human Organ Transplant Act in 2009. This law allows all Singapore citizens and permanent residents to donate their organs after confirmation of brain death, usually in the setting of devastating brain injury or stroke in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting, and such cases are referred to the National Organ Transplant Unit team by intensivists after the presumed clinical brain stem death testing. The further confirmatory tests, coordination with surgeons to find suitable recipients, and communication with family members is then carried out by the transplant coordinators from the National Organ Transplant Unit and not the clinicians. Despite a decade of the institution of the Act, the rates of organ donation remain low. This survey is the first aimed to assess the concerns and recommendations of the intensivists in Singapore.

This was an anonymous survey sent to 120 intensivists registered in Singapore with a 58% response rate. The survey included 14 open-ended questions. The respondents included both private and public sector intensivists. A qualitative analysis was carried out to analyze the emergent themes from the survey.

A total of 79% of the respondents mentioned raising awareness through publicity, education, and advertising; 34% mentioned educating physicians and engaging ICU physicians in further planning of the organ transplant program in Singapore; 35% felt that publicizing more real stories of recipients would help. Generally, there was unease at the opt-out system infringing basic rights.

This is the first survey to elicit the responses of the referring physicians for organ transplant. Their opinions suggest that a wider awareness and buy-in is needed both by the public and the ICU physicians, and addressing their valid moral concerns is essential in bridging this gap.