A superior approach to organ allocation and donation

Background, Whether the twin aims of alleviating organ shortage and of incr easing justice of organ allocation necessarily conflict with each other or can be simultaneously furthered while the autonomy of patients is respected is an important question in organ transplantation. It is shown. that very minor reforms of existing schemes of organ. allocation could increase the s cope for justice, autonomy, and beneficence simultaneously, Method, Willingness to donate discriminates between patients of comparable medical status in the elective category by preferring potential donors over nondonors, High urgency patients as well as children have priority over pa tients in the elective category. The proposed solidarity model can easily b e implemented, for example, as a sixth ranking scale added to the existing allocation algorithm of Eurotransplant, Results, 1, More justice and more beneficence. It is excluded that of two r ecipients of equal medical suitability, a patient who is unwilling to donat e is unjustly preferred to one who is willing to donate, whereas enhanced s olidarity with donors will increase the number of donations and, thereby, t he scope for beneficence. 2, Enhanced involvement of individuals and hospit als. More people are induced to declare actively their willingness to donat e which in turn enhances the moral obligation of hospitals to participate i n transplantation. 3, Fair treatment of dissenting minorities, local reside nts, and nonresidents, The solidarity model favors altruistic contributors to the organ. pool over noncontributors without discriminating against grou ps. Conclusion, A solidarity rule for organ allocation should be gradually intr oduced.