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Improving relatives consent to organ donation |
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Written by Carol Bradford
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009 |
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Obtaining consent from families for organ donation is the most important element of a successful transplant programme. In a recent large study of donor and non-donor families, 57% of families were predisposed to donate, 17% were unsure, and 25% were not in favour.1 The challenge is to secure consent from those people who are predisposed to donate, convert a substantial proportion of those who are unsure, and convert a smaller proportion of those who are initially not in favour. In the right circumstances this approach can achieve an 80% consent rate.
In the linked systematic review (doi:10.1136/bmj.b991), Simpkin and colleagues identify modifiable factors that influence relatives’ decisions to allow organ donation. They conclude that modifying the process of requesting consent may be the best way to increase organ donation rates in the United Kingdom. In a review published in the BMJ earlier this year, Rithalia and colleagues assess . . . (Reproduced from the BMJ 21 April 2009) Read the full article |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 24 April 2009 )
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