This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hi. I'm Art Caplan. I'm at the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.
We've had an organ shortage for many decades now. We can do more transplants than we have organs made available. We try very hard to get organ donation from those who die. That's a commendable thing to do. I think doctors should always be discussing the opportunity to donate organs upon death, even in primary care settings.
It's good to find out what people's attitudes are. Let them learn about organ donation as something they can think about. Let them talk about it with family and friends and partners so that they know their wishes.
However, despite these efforts to encourage organ donation, we still have far fewer organs than we could use to transplant people, many people die on waiting lists because there are no organs to give them, and we're in a situation where demand for organ transplant is actually increasing.
There is more capacity to do transplants both in the US and elsewhere, and more people are living longer, so organ failure starts to become more common before, let's say, terminal illness is really there.
COMMENTARY
Living Kidney Donors Should Receive Money for Their Costs of Donating
Arthur L. Caplan, PhD
DisclosuresMarch 21, 2023
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hi. I'm Art Caplan. I'm at the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.
We've had an organ shortage for many decades now. We can do more transplants than we have organs made available. We try very hard to get organ donation from those who die. That's a commendable thing to do. I think doctors should always be discussing the opportunity to donate organs upon death, even in primary care settings.
It's good to find out what people's attitudes are. Let them learn about organ donation as something they can think about. Let them talk about it with family and friends and partners so that they know their wishes.
However, despite these efforts to encourage organ donation, we still have far fewer organs than we could use to transplant people, many people die on waiting lists because there are no organs to give them, and we're in a situation where demand for organ transplant is actually increasing.
There is more capacity to do transplants both in the US and elsewhere, and more people are living longer, so organ failure starts to become more common before, let's say, terminal illness is really there.
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Cite this: Living Kidney Donors Should Receive Money for Their Costs of Donating - Medscape - Mar 21, 2023.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Arthur L. Caplan, PhD
Director, Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
Disclosure: Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Served as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Johnson & Johnson's Panel for Compassionate Drug Use (unpaid position)
Serves as a contributing author and advisor for: Medscape