The Swedish National Donor Register

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Ethics
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• The Swedish transplant act operates under an opting-out system.
• Public registration with the National Donor Register indicates societal acceptance and perceived need.
• Concerns existed regarding the impact of new legislation on cadaver donor numbers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the public acceptance and operational safety of the Swedish National Donor Register.
• To evaluate the register's utility in the context of Swedish organ donation laws.
• To determine the impact of the register and related legislation on cadaver organ donor rates.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of registration data from the Swedish National Donor Register.
• Comparison of registered individuals' opinions with general public attitude surveys.
• Review of guidelines and operational practices for the National Donor Register.
• Examination of cadaver organ donor statistics before and after legislative changes.

Main Results:

• A significant number of registrations confirm public need and acceptance of the donor register.
• Individuals objecting to donation were overrepresented among early registrants compared to the general public.
• The register is consistently consulted and deemed useful by procurement coordinators.
• Cadaver organ donor numbers remained unchanged despite the introduction of new legislation.

Conclusions:

• The Swedish National Donor Register is a safe and operational system.
• Government agencies and professionals are responsible for designing and supervising donor registries.
• The register's design and oversight are crucial for maintaining public trust and operational integrity.