Los Angeles Times Examines Presumed Consent Policy for Organ Donation

The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined the policy of presumed consent for organ donation. Under presumed consent -- a policy used in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and other European nations -- all individuals are considered organ donors unless they have enrolled in a government registry. In the U.S., residents currently indicate their organ donation preference on their drivers' licenses. The American Medical Association, the HHS Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation and the United Network for Organ Sharing, which administers organ procurement and distribution in the U.S., have considered the policy of presumed consent to help increase organ donation. Supporters of presumed consent maintain that the policy would help address the shortage of donor organs in the U.S. and save lives. David Courtney, vice president of the Presumed Consent Foundation, said that the policy "would provide the best method of alleviating the suffering we have in this country." He said, "We've spent millions on education and awareness and we haven't seen any huge improvements" in organ donation, adding, "We simply have to change the way we're doing things." However, critics question whether presumed consent is ethical. Wesley Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, said, "If people ever come to believe that the issue of getting the organ becomes more important than the patient and the family, I worry it will undercut what is already a pretty thin trust of the whole process." He added, "I think we're much better off continuing to educate people and taking steps to ensure that organ procurement will remain ethical" (Roan, Los Angeles Times, 8/29).