What are the advantages and disadvantages of presumed consent organ donation ("opt out")?

[Inkie]

Can anybody tell me the advantages of having a presumed consent law regarding organ donation where it would be taken for granted that each person would be an organ donor after their death?

Can you al so tell me the disadvantages of having such a system?

[Count-A-Strong]

The advantage would be that many people with life threatening conditions would live.

Disadvantages? Stress caused to the deceased's family. Cost of setting up a national system to deal with matching doners to recipients.

[factor-fiction]

Is this a coursework question?
What couse is it? Is it year 8 homework or a question set at medical school?

[Count-A-Strong]

Does it matter factor?

[Inkie]

Its part of a much bigger subject that im looking into for college

[Davethedog]

Advantage is quiet simply that organs would be available at the moment the deceased gos.

Disadvantage is that you open the doors to the unscrupulous I took his/her heart/Liver/Kidney I never found an opt out card. Of course there are people that will tell you that would NEVER happen I wouldn't belive them.

[LazyGun]

There is a simple and obvious implied benefit to be gained from moving from our existing "opt=in" system to one of a presumed greater benefit, and that is a greater provision of organs for transplantation; we have a desparate shortage of donor organs in this country.

In the UK, the waiting list for transplants is increasing year on year by around 8%, and at the same time, approximately 1,000 people a year are dying whilst on the list for want of a viable organ for transplantation.

We do have a much lower rate of donor organ donation in this country compared to others, such as Spain. Essentially, we have 3 options ; 1 do nothing, 2. Big advertising campaign, central computerized donor registration, or 3. Change to a Presumed Consent system.

There are some family cultural and societal reasons why a presumed consent system might be resisted. Personally, I would favour trying a more aggressive advertising campaign, coupled with changes in donor registration first before moving to a presumed consent system.

Couple of links on the subject:
http://www.guardian.c...tion-presumed-consent

http://www.bmj.com/cg...ong/338/jan14_2/a3162