The transplant experience of liver recipients: Ethical issues and practiceimplications

The transplant experience of 20 liver organ transplant recipients was inves tigated in a longitudinal study. Five primary themes were identified from a nalysis of recipients' interviews including concerns about: (1) quality of life, (2) quality of health care, (3) economic factors, (4) social support factors, and (5) psychological factors. These findings are analyzed within the current context of social work in health care characterized by three in teractive trends: advances in medical technology, changing health care econ omics, and a shift in the locus of health care delivery from institutions t o the community. All five themes reflect the impact of these trends and giv e rise to ethical issues with practice implications.