[Organ Donation in Germany: "Wind of Change"?]

Donor organ shortage has been a problem in Germany for many decades. In 2017, the organ donor rate reached a historic low number. The analysis showed multifactorial reasons and starting-points. The latter resulted in two amendments of the German transplant act. The first amendment focused on strengthening the position of transplant coordinators in donor hospitals. The second amendment includes the implementation of organ donor registers. Both amendments are accompanied by an action plan to transfer the statutory provisions into daily practice. The long-term objective of the adopted measures is an increase in the organ donation rate in Germany, a rational instead of an emotional debate of the topic and finally the socially accepted establishment of organ donation culture.