Organ Donation Flashcards
What does informed consent mean?
Having the ability to understand
and give permission to something
Deciding to donate your organs
What does presumed consent?
You assume they give permission
1 strength of Informed Consent
(People’s lives will be saved)
Over 500 people in Scotland will be saved each year due to the selflessness of others
1 strength of Informed Consent
(The Government)
The government can spend the money on other life threatening issues.
1 strength of Informed Consent
(It can become the norm)
It will eventually become the norm within society to donate your organs this can be through word of mouth or social media platforms.
1 weakness of Informed Consent
(Where do the organs go?)
Where do the organs to? (i.e should there be a ranking order to who should receive and not receive them?)
1 weakness of Informed Consent
(Science become lazy)
Will science become lazy in medical development if there are more organs than before (i.e. will it be easier to give someone an organ than treating them?)
1 weakness of Informed Consent
(Too much pressure)
Are opt-out governments putting too much pressure on people?
What is soft-opt out?
If the dead person has not previously
opted out themselves their relatives may deny consent for organ donation on the
person’s behalf. i.e. Scotland
What is hard-opt out?
ignores the views of relatives and the
dead person is presumed to
have given consent i.e. Austria
What is an advantage of soft-opt out?
People have a say about
what happens to their body.
There is no interference from
government legislation. Why
should your family be in
control of your body?
What is an advantage of hard opt-out?
Countries like Austria have more
organs available than soft opt
out. It encourages more people to view organ donation as a natural process where they know what will happen to the body when they die. The government has too much control over the body
What is an issue with consent?
An issue with consent is some people may be forced to donate an organ i.e. organ trafficking which has happened in China. This is a violation of a person’s human
rights as they are being forced to do something they might not wish to do.
Religious Responses to Organ Transplantation
(Christianity)
Christians consider organ donation is an act of love and a way of following Jesus’ example. Christians believe in eternal life and preparing for death shouldn’t be feared. They also believe that nothing happens to our body, before or after death, that can impact our relationship with God.
What is the Roman Catholics view on organ and tissue donation?
Roman Catholics view organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and love, as reported “Transplants are morally and ethically acceptable to the Vatican”
Religious Responses to Organ Transplantation
(Buddhism)
The death process of an individual is viewed as a very important time that should be treated with the greatest care and respect. Central to Buddhism is a wish to relive suffering and there may be circumstances where organ donation may be seen as an act of generosity.The Buddha in a previous life gave his body to a starving tigress who couldn’t feed her cubs. What loss do I suffer to give an unwanted organ after my death to give another person life?
Non-religious Responses to Organ Transplantation
(Humanism)
Humanists believe that we have only one life and that we can make it meaningful by being happy, making others happy and adopting worthwhile goals to give our lives meaning and purpose. Most Humanists would consider that we have a moral responsibility to allow our organs to be used for transplantation, if that will help save lives and improve the quality of life for others.
Non-religious Responses to Organ Transplantation
(Act Utilitarianism)
The consequences of your actions decide whether your actions were right or wrong. If your actions are likely to lead to the greatest good for the greatest number then they’re probably right.
Non-religious Responses to Organ Transplantation
(Welfare Utilitarianism)
A welfare utilitarian looks at aspects that enhance society as opposed to a single person. In the case of a heroic donor, a welfare utilitarian could say that it was justifiable to refuse an organ as the medical evidence shows that it will do no one good.
What is the basic explanation of the Dead Donor Rule?
It is wrong for doctors to deliberately end a patient’s life and death must be properly established i.e. organs will not be taken from deaths that are suspicious.
How many people who die in the UK are actually able to be donors?
100
How many people die each year in the UK waiting for an organ?
430
How is it difficult for families with the Dead Donor Rule?
Some families may find this difficult if they wish to spend time with their loved ones as they may feel pressure to not spend time with the body and properly mourn as the organs will started to become less effective.
Religious Responses to Beating Heart Donor
(Islam)
Brain death is not considered death in Islam until rigor mortis sets in (12 hours after death)
This causes difficulties as it will be hard to assure families that a family member with brain-stem death is truly dead in order to allow donation to happen.
Most transplants in Muslim countries happen from live donations for example in 2006, 13% of kidney donations in Iran were from deceased donors. However in the UK it was 62%.
