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Semrau L. The Altruism Requirement as Moral Fiction. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY 2024; 49:257-270. [PMID: 38530655 DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
It is widely agreed that living kidney donation is permitted but living kidney sales are not. Call this the Received View. One way to support the Received View is to appeal to a particular understanding of the conditions under which living kidney transplantation is permissible. It is often claimed that donors must act altruistically, without the expectation of payment and for the sake of another. Call this the Altruism Requirement. On the conventional interpretation, the Altruism Requirement is a moral fact. It states a legitimate constraint on permissible transplantation and is accepted on the basis of cogent argument. The present paper offers an alternative interpretation. I suggest the Altruism Requirement is a moral fiction-a kind of motivated falsehood. It is false that transplantation requires altruism. But the Requirement serves a purpose. Accepting it allows kidney donation but not kidney sale. It, in short, rationalizes the Received View.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Semrau
- Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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2
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Ambagtsheer F, Bunnik E, Pengel LHM, Reinders MEJ, Elias JJ, Lacetera N, Macis M. Public Opinions on Removing Disincentives and Introducing Incentives for Organ Donation: Proposing a European Research Agenda. Transpl Int 2024; 37:12483. [PMID: 38644936 PMCID: PMC11027084 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2024.12483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The shortage of organs for transplantations is increasing in Europe as well as globally. Many initiatives to the organ shortage, such as opt-out systems for deceased donation and expanding living donation, have been insufficient to meet the rising demand for organs. In recurrent discussions on how to reduce organ shortage, financial incentives and removal of disincentives, have been proposed to stimulate living organ donation and increase the pool of available donor organs. It is important to understand not only the ethical acceptability of (dis)incentives for organ donation, but also its societal acceptance. In this review, we propose a research agenda to help guide future empirical studies on public preferences in Europe towards the removal of disincentives and introduction of incentives for organ donation. We first present a systematic literature review on public opinions concerning (financial) (dis)incentives for organ donation in European countries. Next, we describe the results of a randomized survey experiment conducted in the United States. This experiment is crucial because it suggests that societal support for incentivizing organ donation depends on the specific features and institutional design of the proposed incentive scheme. We conclude by proposing this experiment's framework as a blueprint for European research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederike Ambagtsheer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eline Bunnik
- Department of Medical Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Liset H. M. Pengel
- Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marlies EJ Reinders
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Julio J. Elias
- Department of Economics, School of Business, University of CEMA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Mario Macis
- Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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3
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Lucey
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (M.R.L.), the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (K.N.F.), and the Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation (D.P.F.), University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - Katryn N Furuya
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (M.R.L.), the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (K.N.F.), and the Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation (D.P.F.), University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - David P Foley
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (M.R.L.), the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (K.N.F.), and the Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation (D.P.F.), University of Wisconsin, Madison
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4
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Copeland H, Knezevic I, Baran DA, Rao V, Pham M, Gustafsson F, Pinney S, Lima B, Masetti M, Ciarka A, Rajagopalan N, Torres A, Hsich E, Patel JK, Goldraich LA, Colvin M, Segovia J, Ross H, Ginwalla M, Sharif-Kashani B, Farr MA, Potena L, Kobashigawa J, Crespo-Leiro MG, Altman N, Wagner F, Cook J, Stosor V, Grossi PA, Khush K, Yagdi T, Restaino S, Tsui S, Absi D, Sokos G, Zuckermann A, Wayda B, Felius J, Hall SA. Donor heart selection: Evidence-based guidelines for providers. J Heart Lung Transplant 2023; 42:7-29. [PMID: 36357275 PMCID: PMC10284152 DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2022.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The proposed donor heart selection guidelines provide evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for the selection of donor hearts following brain death. These recommendations were compiled by an international panel of experts based on an extensive literature review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Copeland
- Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Indiana University School of Medicine-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
| | - Ivan Knezevic
- Transplantation Centre, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - David A Baran
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Sentara Heart Hospital, Norfolk, Virginia
| | - Vivek Rao
- Peter Munk Cardiac Centre Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Pham
- Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Finn Gustafsson
- Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sean Pinney
- University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Brian Lima
- Medical City Heart Hospital, Dallas, Texas
| | - Marco Masetti
- Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Unit IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Ciarka
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Institute of Civilisation Diseases and Regenerative Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, Rzeszow, Poland
| | | | - Adriana Torres
- Los Cobos Medical Center, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | | | | | | | - Javier Segovia
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Heather Ross
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Mahazarin Ginwalla
- Cardiovascular Division, Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Sutter Health, Burlingame, California
| | - Babak Sharif-Kashani
- Department of Cardiology, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - MaryJane A Farr
- Department of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Luciano Potena
- Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Unit IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Valentina Stosor
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Kiran Khush
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Tahir Yagdi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Susan Restaino
- Division of Cardiology Columbia University, New York, New York; New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Steven Tsui
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Absi
- Department of Cardiothoracic and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - George Sokos
- Heart and Vascular Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Andreas Zuckermann
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Brian Wayda
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Joost Felius
- Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas; Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Shelley A Hall
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas; Division of Transplant Cardiology, Mechanical Circulatory Support and Advanced Heart Failure, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Semrau L, Matas AJ. A regulated system of incentives for living kidney donation: Clearing the way for an informed assessment. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:2509-2514. [PMID: 35751488 PMCID: PMC9796749 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.17129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The kidney shortage continues to be a crisis for our patients. Despite numerous attempts to increase living and deceased donation, annually in the United States, thousands of candidates are removed from the kidney transplant waiting list because of either death or becoming too sick to transplant. To increase living donation, trials of a regulated system of incentives for living donation have been proposed. Such trials may show: (1) a significant increase in donation, and (2) that informed, incentivized donors, making an autonomous decision to donate, have the same medical and psychosocial outcomes as our conventional donors. Given the stakes, the proposal warrants careful consideration. However, to date, much discussion of the proposal has been unproductive. Objections commonly leveled against it: fail to engage with it; conflate it with underground, unregulated markets; speculate without evidence; and reason fallaciously, favoring rhetorical impact over logic. The present paper is a corrective. It identifies these common errors so they are not repeated, thus allowing space for an assessment of the proposal on its merits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Semrau
- Department of PhilosophyBloomsburg UniversityBloomsburgPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Arthur J. Matas
- Division of Transplantation, Department of SurgeryUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
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Siraj MS. How a compensated kidney donation program facilitates the sale of human organs in a regulated market: the implications of Islam on organ donation and sale. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 2022; 17:10. [PMID: 35897010 PMCID: PMC9331153 DOI: 10.1186/s13010-022-00122-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advocates for a regulated system to facilitate kidney donation between unrelated donor-recipient pairs argue that monetary compensation encourages people to donate vital organs that save the lives of patients with end-stage organ failure. Scholars support compensating donors as a form of reciprocity. This study aims to assess the compensation system for the unrelated kidney donation program in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a particular focus on the implications of Islam on organ donation and organ sales. METHODS This study reviews secondary documents for philosophical argumentation and ethical analysis of human organ donation and sale for transplantation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION According to Islamic law, organ donation is an act of sadaqatul jariyah, and individuals are permitted to donate organs with the intention of saving lives. The commercialization of humans as organ sellers and buyers is contrary to the Islamic legal maxim eethaar, undermining donors of 'selfless' or 'altruistic' motivations. Such an act should be considered immoral, and the practice should not be introduced into other countries for the sake of protecting human dignity, integrity, solidarity, and respect. I, therefore, argue that Iran's unrelated kidney donation program not only disregards the position of the Islamic religion with respect to the provision or receipt of monetary benefits for human kidneys for transplantation but that it also misinterprets the Islamic legal proscription of the sale of human organs. I also argue that the implementation of Iran's unrelated kidney donor transplantation program is unethical and immoral in that potential donors and recipients engage in a bargaining process akin to that which sellers and buyers regularly face in regulated commodity exchange markets. Conversely, I suggest that a modest fixed monetary remuneration as a gift be provided to a donor as a reward for their altruistic organ donation, which is permissible by Islamic scholars. This may remove the need to bargain for increased or decreased values of payment in exchange for the organ, as well as the transactional nature of 'buyer and seller', ensuring the philosophy of 'donor and recipient' is maintained. CONCLUSIONS Offering a fixed modest monetary incentive to organ donors would serve to increase organ supply while protecting donors' health and reducing human suffering without legalizing the human organ trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sanwar Siraj
- Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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Siraj MS. Ethical Analysis of Appropriate Incentive Measures Promoting Organ Donation in Bangladesh. Asian Bioeth Rev 2022; 14:237-257. [PMID: 35791329 PMCID: PMC9250557 DOI: 10.1007/s41649-022-00208-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country, has a national organ donation law that was passed in 1999 and revised in 2018. The law allows living-related and brain-dead donor organ transplantation. There are no legal barriers to these two types of organ donations, but there is no legislation providing necessary costs and incentive measures associated with successful organ transplants. However, many governments across the globe provide different types of incentives for motivating living donors and families of deceased donors. This study assesses the merits and demerits of incentive measures already in use around the world and proposes ethical measures that can promote organ donation in Bangladesh. The primary focus of this paper is to present an ethical analysis of the comparison of incentive measures on organ donation between Bangladesh and the Islamic Republic of Iran as two Muslim countries that operate organ donation for transplantation practices according to Islamic principles. In this paper, I mainly argue that providing a fixed bare minimum financial incentive measure to distantly related living donors and families of deceased donors will encourage Bangladeshis to donate organs in a manner that is ethically justifiable, morally permissible, and socio-economically appropriate. The government of Bangladesh should revise the existing biomedical law to include a provision related to incentive measures and set a strict policy to properly regulate these measures as key stewardship that can ethically promote organ donation for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Sanwar Siraj
- Department of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Ali AA, Al-Hashimi BA, Al-Taee HA, Bahaaldan SS. Knowledge and Attitude of People With or Without a Medical Education Regarding Organ Donation and Transplant: A Sample From the City of Baghdad. EXP CLIN TRANSPLANT 2022; 20:299-305. [PMID: 33535931 DOI: 10.6002/ect.2020.0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Organ donation is the driving force for transplant. Awareness about donation and transplant is invaluable for improved transplant services in any country. Our objective was to assess the knowledge and attitude toward organ donation and transplant among medically educated adult Iraqis versus adult Iraqis who were not medically educated, in Baghdad, Iraq. MATERIALS AND METHODS For this study, we recruited 400 Iraqi residents of Baghdad city from December 1, 2018, to March 1, 2019. We used an interviewer-adm-inistered questionnaire to survey 200 health care professionals and 200 adults who lacked medical education, and then we analyzed the responses from the 2 groups. RESULTS The study included 165 males and 235 females (mean age 33.73 ± 10.38 years). Most participants (60%) were aware of organ donation, and a health care provider was the main source of their knowledge. Only 11.25% were aware of Iraqi legislation that permits donation after brain death. Nearly 50% of the participants volunteered to be living donors, and 229/400 (57.25%%) volunteered to donate after death. About 50% accepted the idea of organ donation as an act to save life, whomever the donor. The most important barrier was the fear of future risks to health after living donation and body disfigurement after death. There was a statistically significant difference in the knowledge and attitude scores between the 2 groups. From the study sample, 46.5% accepted the concept of incenting living donors or families of deceased donors. CONCLUSIONS Iraqi people are moderately informed about organ donation and transplant. Medically educated people demonstrated an attitude of greater acceptance. Religion and social beliefs were not barriers to organ donation in the study sample. Regulated governmental application of incentive programs may be a useful strategy at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ala A Ali
- From the Nephrology and Renal Transplantation Centre, The Medical City Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq
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9
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Fruh K, Duman EK. Offering more without offering compensation: non-compensating benefits for living kidney donors. MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE, AND PHILOSOPHY 2021; 24:711-719. [PMID: 34165674 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-021-10034-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While different positions on the permissibility of organ markets enjoy support, there is widespread agreement that some benefits to living organ donors are acceptable and do not raise the same moral concerns associated with organ markets, such as exploitation and commodification. We argue on the basis of two distinctions that some benefit packages offered to donors can defensibly surpass conventional reimbursement while stopping short of controversial cash payouts. The first distinction is between benefits that defray the costs of donating an organ and benefits that incentivize donation by offering something in excess of defraying. The second distinction is between benefits that compensate donors and benefits that are non-compensating. We argue that non-compensating benefits are innocent of moral concerns typically associated with controversial cash payouts, and thus may be a morally promising avenue for increasing rates of kidney donation to address the tragic results of undersupply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Fruh
- Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China.
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10
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Thomas R, Consolo H, Oniscu GC. Have we reached the limits in altruistic kidney donation? Transpl Int 2021; 34:1187-1197. [PMID: 34008872 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Altruistic donation (unspecified donation) is an important aspect of living donor kidney transplantation. Although donation to a stranger is lawful and supported in many countries, it remains uncommon and not actively promoted. Herein, we ask the question if we have reached the limit in altruistic donation. In doing so, we examine important ethical questions that define the limits of unspecified donation, such as the appropriate balance between autonomous decision-making and paternalistic protection of the donor, the extent of outcome uncertainty and risk-benefit analyses that donors should be allowed to accept. We also consider the scrutiny and acceptance of donor motives, the potential for commercialization, donation to particular categories of recipients (including those encountered through social media) and the ethical boundaries of active promotion of unspecified kidney donation. We conclude that there is scope to increase the number of living donation kidney transplants further by optimizing existing practices to support and promote unspecified donation. A number of strategies including optimization of the assessment process, innovative approaches to reach potential donors together with reimbursement of expenses and a more specific recognition of unspecified donation are likely to lead to a meaningful increase in this type of donation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Thomas
- Edinburgh Transplant Centre, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Gabriel C Oniscu
- Edinburgh Transplant Centre, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Clinical Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Danovitch GM, Capron AM, Delmonico FL. The True Meaning of Financial Neutrality in Organ Donation. Am J Kidney Dis 2020; 77:967-968. [PMID: 33271213 DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M Danovitch
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
| | - Alexander M Capron
- Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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12
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Martin DE, Harris DCH, Jha V, Segantini L, Demme RA, Le TH, McCann L, Sands JM, Vong G, Wolpe PR, Fontana M, London GM, Vanderhaegen B, Vanholder R. Ethical challenges in nephrology: a call for action. Nat Rev Nephrol 2020; 16:603-613. [PMID: 32587403 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-020-0295-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The American Society of Nephrology, the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association and the International Society of Nephrology Joint Working Group on Ethical Issues in Nephrology have identified ten broad areas of ethical concern as priority challenges that require collaborative action. Here, we describe these challenges - equity in access to kidney failure care, avoiding futile dialysis, reducing dialysis costs, shared decision-making in kidney failure care, living donor risk evaluation and decision-making, priority setting in kidney disease prevention and care, the ethical implications of genetic kidney diseases, responsible advocacy for kidney health and management of conflicts of interest - with the aim of highlighting the need for ethical analysis of specific issues, as well as for the development of tools and training to support clinicians who treat patients with kidney disease in practising ethically and contributing to ethical policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique E Martin
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
| | - David C H Harris
- University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Vivekanand Jha
- George Institute for Global Health, UNSW, New Delhi, India
- University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Luca Segantini
- International Society of Nephrology, Brussels, Belgium
- European Society for Organ Transplantation - ESOT c/o ESOT, Padova, Italy
| | - Richard A Demme
- Renal Division and Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Thu H Le
- Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Laura McCann
- American Society of Nephrology, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeff M Sands
- Renal Division, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gerard Vong
- Center for Ethics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Monica Fontana
- European Renal Association - European Dialysis and Transplant Association, Parma, Italy
| | - Gerard M London
- Manhes Hospital, Nephrology Department GEPIR, Fleury-Mérogis, France
| | | | - Raymond Vanholder
- Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, B9000, Gent, Belgium
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13
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Naghavi N, Mubarik MS, Rasiah R, Sharif Nia H. Prioritizing Factors Affecting Deceased Organ Donation in Malaysia: Is a New Organ Donation System Required? Int J Gen Med 2020; 13:641-651. [PMID: 32982381 PMCID: PMC7507418 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s253372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The gap between the demand and the supply of human organs for transplantation is on the rise in Malaysia, despite the efforts of governments to promote donor registration. Factors affecting willingness to donate are contextual and vary from country to country. This research mainly focuses on the selection of most suitable organ donation system through factors affecting willingness to donate in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to prioritize those factors acting as the pillars of the organ donation system and further to select the most suitable organ donation system for Malaysia. Patients and Methods The data were collected from 35 experts by using a bipolar questionnaire. The study applied an analytical hierarchal process (AHP) for prioritization factors contributing to willingness to donate and then selection of a suitable organ donation system based on prioritized factors. Results Based on the AHP results, it is evident that donation perception (0.36) has the highest priority in influencing organ donation rates, followed by socioeconomic status (0.32), demographic factors (0.23), and financial incentives (0.09). Further, our results challenge the existing opt-in donation system in Malaysia and present a presumptive approach as a suitable system for increasing deceased donation rate in Malaysia. Presumptive approach promotes the role of health-care professionals in securing the family consent. Conclusion This approach is a person-oriented rather than process-oriented strategy and it relies on designated requesters' skills to evoke altruism among bereaved families. Based on results, the authors recommended that relevant government agencies focus on training nurses to discuss donation with bereaved families and raising public awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navaz Naghavi
- Faculty of Business & Law, Taylor's Business School, Taylor's University, Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik
- Faculty of Business Administration & Social Sciences, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Karachi 7500, Pakistan
| | - Rajah Rasiah
- Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hamid Sharif Nia
- Department of Nursing, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
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14
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Toufeeq Khan TF, Mirza I, Rashid T, Anwar N. Unrelated donors in kidney transplantation: Myths and the gruesome reality. SAUDI JOURNAL OF KIDNEY DISEASES AND TRANSPLANTATION 2020; 31:563-567. [PMID: 32394939 DOI: 10.4103/1319-2442.284041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Taqi F Toufeeq Khan
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Irfan Mirza
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Tahir Rashid
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Nisar Anwar
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, Pakistan
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15
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Garg AX, Levey AS, Kasiske BL, Cheung M, Lentine KL. Application of the 2017 KDIGO Guideline for the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors to Clinical Practice. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2020; 15:896-905. [PMID: 32276946 PMCID: PMC7274294 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.12141019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2017 "Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors" was developed to assist medical professionals who evaluate living kidney donor candidates and provide care before, during, and after donation. This guideline Work Group concluded that a comprehensive approach to donor candidate risk assessment should replace eligibility decisions on the basis of assessments of single risk factors in isolation. To address all issues important to living donors in a pragmatic and comprehensive guideline, many of the guideline recommendations were on the basis of expert consensus opinion even when no direct evidence was available. To advance available evidence, original data analyses were also undertaken to produce a "proof-of-concept" risk projection model for kidney failure. This was done to illustrate how the community can advance a new quantitative framework of risk that considers each candidate's profile of demographic and health characteristics. A public review by stakeholders and subject matter experts as well as industry and professional organizations informed the final formulation of the guideline. This review highlights the guideline framework, key concepts, and recommendations, and uses five patient scenarios and 12 guideline statements to illustrate how the guideline can be applied to support living donor evaluation and care in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit X Garg
- Division of Nephrology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew S Levey
- Division of Nephrology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bertram L Kasiske
- Division of Nephrology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Michael Cheung
- Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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O'Connell PJ, Brown M, Chan TM, Claure-Del Granado R, Davies SJ, Eiam-Ong S, Hassan MH, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Levin A, Martin DE, Muller E, Ossareh S, Tchokhonelidze I, Trask M, Twahir A, Were AJO, Yang CW, Zemchenkov A, Harden PN. The role of kidney transplantation as a component of integrated care for chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int Suppl (2011) 2020; 10:e78-e85. [PMID: 32149012 DOI: 10.1016/j.kisu.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Kidney transplant provides superior outcomes to dialysis as a treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Therefore, it is essential that kidney transplantation be part of an integrated treatment and management plan for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Developing an effective national program of transplantation is challenging because of the requirement for kidney donors and the need for a multidisciplinary team to provide expert care for both donors and recipients. This article outlines the steps necessary to establish a national kidney transplant program, starting with the requirement for effective legislation that provides the legal framework for transplantation whilst protecting organ donors, their families, recipients, and staff and is an essential requirement to combat organ trafficking. The next steps involve capacity building with the development of a multiskilled workforce, the credentialing of transplant centers, and the reporting of outcomes through national or regional registries. Although it is accepted that most transplant programs will begin with living related kidney donation, it is essential to aspire to and develop a deceased donor program. This requires engagement with multiple stakeholders, especially the patients, the general community, intensivists, and health departments. Development of transplant centers should be undertaken in concert with the development of a dialysis program. Both are essential components of integrated care for CKD and both should be viewed as part of the World Health Organization's initiative for universal health coverage. Provisions to cover the costs of treatment for patients need to be developed taking into account the state of development of the overall health framework in each country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J O'Connell
- Renal Unit, University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Westmead Clinical School, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark Brown
- Department of Renal Medicine, St. George Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tak Mao Chan
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rolando Claure-Del Granado
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Hospital Obrero #2 -Caja Nacional de Salud, Universidad Mayor de San Simon School of Medicine, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Simon J Davies
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Somchai Eiam-Ong
- Department of Medicine, Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mohamed H Hassan
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California, USA
| | - Adeera Levin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Elmi Muller
- Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shahrzad Ossareh
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Hasheminejad Kidney Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Irma Tchokhonelidze
- Nephrology Development Clinical Center, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Michele Trask
- School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ahmed Twahir
- Parklands Kidney Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anthony J O Were
- Renal Unit, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.,School of Medicine, Clinical Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.,East African Kidney Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Chih-Wei Yang
- Kidney Research Center, Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Alexander Zemchenkov
- Department of Internal Disease and Nephrology, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Paul N Harden
- Oxford Kidney Unit, Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Capron
- Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Gabriel M Danovitch
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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18
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Raho JA, Brown-Saltzman K, Korenman SG, Weiss F, Orentlicher D, Lin JA, Moreno EA, Nuri-Robins K, Stein A, Schnell KE, Diamant AL, Weiss IK. Ethics of organ procurement from the unrepresented patient population. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2019; 45:751-754. [PMID: 31506293 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The shortage of organs for transplantation by its nature prompts ethical dilemmas. For example, although there is an imperative to save human life and reduce suffering by maximising the supply of vital organs, there is an equally important obligation to ensure that the process by which we increase the supply respects the rights of all stakeholders. In a relatively unexamined practice in the USA, organs are procured from unrepresented decedents without their express consent. Unrepresented decedents have no known healthcare wishes or advance care planning document; they also lack a surrogate. The Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (RUAGA) of 2006 sends a mixed message about the procurement of organs from this patient population and there are hospitals that authorise donation. In addition, in adopting the RUAGA, some states included provisions that clearly allow organ procurement from unrepresented decedents. An important unanswered question is whether this practice meets the canons of ethical permissibility. The current Brief Report presents two principled approaches to the topic as a way of highlighting some of the complexities involved. Concluding remarks offer suggestions for future research and discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Raho
- Ethics Center, UCLA Health System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Stanley G Korenman
- Department of Endocrinology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Fredda Weiss
- UCLA Ethics Committee, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - James A Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elisa A Moreno
- Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Andrea Stein
- UCLA Ethics Committee, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Karen E Schnell
- Department of Spiritual Care, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Allison L Diamant
- General Internal Medicine and Health Sciences Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Irwin K Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
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19
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Kim S, Sin SM, Lee HY, Park UJ, Kim HT, Roh YN. Survey for the Opinion of Medical Students and Medical Staff on a Financial Incentive System for Deceased Organ Donation in an Asian Country. Transplant Proc 2019; 51:2508-2513. [PMID: 31473008 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2019.04.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Financial incentives for deceased organ donation are associated with many controversial ethical issues. This study examines the perspectives of medical students and staff members on financial incentives for the families of brain-dead organ donors. METHODOLOGY A structured survey form was used between December 7, 2017 and January 28, 2018 to elicit opinions on financial incentives for the families of brain-dead organ donors. Forty-three medical staff members and 81 medical students participated in the survey voluntarily. The opinions on the financial incentive system and the relationship between willingness to give information about organ donation to families and a financial incentive system were assessed. RESULTS The majority of the participants (81.4%) had positive thoughts on organ donation. More than half of the participants (60.5%) thought that the financial incentive system did not erode the ethical purity of organ donation. As charge doctors, most respondents (84.6%) were willing to give information about organ donation to family members in the presence of financial incentives. However, the percentage decreased significantly to 60.5% when financial incentive was no longer factored into consideration (P < .001). LIMITATION The study population is small, and the participants are not representative of the general population. CONCLUSION The opinions of medical students and medical staff on financial incentives for deceased organ donation were generally positive. Financial incentives proved to be a potential influencing factor as an option of organ donation to be given to families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghoon Kim
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon Min Sin
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Yong Lee
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ui Jun Park
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoung Tae Kim
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Nam Roh
- Division of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keimyung University, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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20
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McCormick F, Held PJ, Chertow GM, Peters TG, Roberts JP. Removing Disincentives to Kidney Donation: A Quantitative Analysis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2019; 30:1349-1357. [PMID: 31345987 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2019030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip J Held
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Glenn M Chertow
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Thomas G Peters
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida; and
| | - John P Roberts
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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21
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Danovitch G. Financial neutrality should replace the Iranian paid donor market. Clin Transplant 2019; 33:e13665. [PMID: 31310680 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.13665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Danovitch
- John J. Kuiper Chair of Neprology and Renal Transplantation, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Division of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, California.,Kidney Transplant Program, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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22
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Tietjen A, Hays R, McNatt G, Howey R, Lebron-Banks U, Thomas CP, Lentine KL. Billing for living kidney donor care: Balancing cost recovery, regulatory compliance, and minimized donor burden. CURRENT TRANSPLANTATION REPORTS 2019; 6:155-166. [PMID: 31214485 PMCID: PMC6580854 DOI: 10.1007/s40472-019-00239-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To provide standardized guidance for transplant programs to maximize financial reimbursement related to living donor care, and to minimize financial consequences of evaluation, surgical and follow-up care to living donor candidates and donors. RECENT FINDINGS In 2014, the American Society for Transplantation (AST) Live Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP) "Consensus Conference on Best Practices in Live Kidney Donation" identified inconsistencies in billing practices as a barrier to living donor financial neutrality, and issued a strong recommendation that the transplant community actively pursue strategies and policies to make living donation a financially neutral act, within the framework of federal law. The LDCOP convened a multidisciplinary group of experts to review and synthesize current Medicare regulations and commercial payer practices related to billing for living donor care, and the implications for transplant programs and patients. We developed guidance for transplant program staff related to strategies to consistently and appropriately obtain reimbursement via the Medicare Cost Report by utilizing organ acquisition; coordinate available coverage for donor pretesting, evaluation, hospitalization, follow-up care, and complications; coordinate charges in kidney paired donation; and maximize coverage through private insurance contracting. We also offer recommendations to protect donor confidentiality in the context of billing, and to educate and prepare donor candidates and donors about any remaining gaps in coverage related to donation. SUMMARY Best practices in billing for living donation-related care should focus on balancing cost recovery, regulatory compliance, and minimized donor burden. Herein we offer 9 recommendations for best practice. We also offer a platform of 7 recommendations for research & advocacy efforts to better understand the climate of living donor medical costs, and to optimize billing practices that support provision of living donor transplant services to all patients who can benefit and to achieve financial neutrality for living donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Tietjen
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ
| | - Rebecca Hays
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Division of Surgery, Madison, WI
| | - Gwen McNatt
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- Kovler Organ Transplantation Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
| | - Robert Howey
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- Toyon Associates, Concord, CA
| | - Ursula Lebron-Banks
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
| | - Christie P. Thomas
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- University of Iowa Transplant Institute, Iowa City, IA
| | - Krista L. Lentine
- American Society of Transplantation (AST) Living Donor Community of Practice (LDCOP)
- Saint Louis University Center for Abdominal Transplantation, St. Louis, MO
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23
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Barnieh L, Klarenbach S, Arnold J, Cuerden M, Knoll G, Lok C, Sontrop JM, Miller M, Ramesh Prasad GV, Przech S, Garg AX. Nonreimbursed Costs Incurred by Living Kidney Donors: A Case Study From Ontario, Canada. Transplantation 2019; 103:e164-e171. [PMID: 31246933 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000002685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Living donors may incur out-of-pocket costs during the donation process. While many jurisdictions have programs to reimburse living kidney donors for expenses, few programs have been evaluated. METHODS The Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors was launched in the province of Ontario, Canada in 2008 and reimburses travel, parking, accommodation, meals, and loss of income; each category has a limit and the maximum total reimbursement is $5500 CAD. We conducted a case study to compare donors' incurred costs (out-of-pocket and lost income) with amounts reimbursed by Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors. Donors with complete or partial cost data from a large prospective cohort study were linked to Ontario's reimbursement program to determine the gap between incurred and reimbursed costs (n = 159). RESULTS The mean gap between costs incurred and costs reimbursed to the donors was $1313 CAD for out-of-pocket costs and $1802 CAD for lost income, representing a mean reimbursement gap of $3115 CAD. Nondirected donors had the highest mean loss for out-of-pocket costs ($2691 CAD) and kidney paired donors had the highest mean loss for lost income ($4084 CAD). There were no significant differences in the mean gap across exploratory subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Reimbursement programs minimize some of the financial loss for living kidney donors. Opportunities remain to remove the financial burden of living kidney donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Barnieh
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Scott Klarenbach
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jennifer Arnold
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Meaghan Cuerden
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Greg Knoll
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Charmaine Lok
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica M Sontrop
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Miller
- Division of Nephrology and Transplantation, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sebastian Przech
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Amit X Garg
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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24
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25
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Martin DE, Van Assche K, Domínguez-Gil B, López-Fraga M, García Gallont R, Muller E, Capron AM. Strengthening Global Efforts to Combat Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism: Implications of the 2018 Edition of the Declaration of Istanbul. Transplant Direct 2019; 5:e433. [PMID: 30882038 PMCID: PMC6411225 DOI: 10.1097/txd.0000000000000872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2018 Edition of the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism (DoI) provides an updated set of principles and definitions to guide policymakers and health professionals working in organ donation and transplantation. A draft of the new edition was circulated to the public and transplant professionals through an online consultation process, which also sought feedback on a draft explanatory article that explained the principles and discussed some of their practical implications. Both drafts were revised in response to feedback from participants in the consultation. We present here the discussion article, which is intended to assist stakeholders in applying the principles of the DoI by providing more detailed information about the meaning and potential implications of implementing the DoI in various contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristof Van Assche
- Research Group Personal Rights and Property Rights, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Marta López-Fraga
- European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Elmi Muller
- Department of Surgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Alexander M. Capron
- Gould School of Law and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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26
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Held PJ, McCormick F, Chertow GM, Peters TG, Roberts JP. Would government compensation of living kidney donors exploit the poor? An empirical analysis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205655. [PMID: 30485269 PMCID: PMC6261427 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Government compensation of kidney donors would likely increase the supply of kidneys and prevent the premature deaths of tens of thousands of patients with kidney failure each year. The major argument against it is that it would exploit the poor who would be more likely to accept the offers of compensation. This overlooks the fact that many poor patients desperately need a kidney transplant and would greatly benefit from an increased supply of kidneys. The objective of this study is to empirically test the hypothesis that government compensation of kidney donors would exploit the poor. Exploitation is defined by economists and several noted ethicists as paying donors less than the fair market value of their kidney. Exploitation is expressed in monetary terms and compared with the economic benefit recipients receive from a transplant. Data are from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the United States Renal Data System annual data reports. Educational attainment is used as a proxy for income. We estimate that if the government rewards living donors with a package of non-cash benefits worth $75,000 per kidney, donors would not be exploited. Much more important, this compensation would likely end the kidney shortage, enabling many more patients with kidney failure to obtain transplants and live longer and healthier lives. The value of kidney transplantation to a U.S. recipient is about $1,330,000, which is an order of magnitude greater than any purported exploitation of a living donor (zero to $75,000). Consequently, the aggregate net benefit to the poor alone from kidney transplantation would increase to about $12 billion per year from $1 billion per year currently. Most of the benefit would accrue to poor kidney recipients. But poor donors would receive the fair market value of their kidney, and hence would not be exploited. If the government wanted to ensure that donors also received a net benefit, it could easily do so by increasing the compensation above $75,000 per donor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Held
- Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Frank McCormick
- Independent Researcher, Walnut Creek, California, United States of America
| | - Glenn M. Chertow
- Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas G. Peters
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - John P. Roberts
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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27
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Wiseman AC. Protecting Donors and Safeguarding Altruism in the United States: The Living Donor Protection Act. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2018; 13:790-792. [PMID: 29523678 PMCID: PMC5969491 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.13681217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Wiseman
- Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Transplant Center, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
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28
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Gill J, Joffres Y, Rose C, Lesage J, Landsberg D, Kadatz M, Gill J. The Change in Living Kidney Donation in Women and Men in the United States (2005-2015): A Population-Based Analysis. J Am Soc Nephrol 2018. [PMID: 29519800 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2017111160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors underlying the decline in living kidney donation in the United States since 2005 must be understood to inform strategies to ensure access to this option for future patients. Population-based estimates provide a better assessment of donation activity than do trends in the number of living donor transplants. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the United States Census, we determined longitudinal changes in living kidney donation between 2005 and 2015, focusing on the effect of sex and income. We used multilevel Poisson models to adjust for differences in age, race, the incidence of ESRD, and geographic factors (including population density, urbanization, and daily commuting). During the study period, the unadjusted rate of donation was 30.1 and 19.3 per million population in women and men, respectively, and the adjusted incidence of donation was 44% higher in women (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.44; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.39 to 1.49). The incidence of donation was stable in women (IRR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.07) but declined in men (IRR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.83). Income was associated with longitudinal changes in donation in both sexes, yet donation was stable in the highest two population income quartiles in women but only in the highest income quartile in men. In both sexes, living related donations declined, irrespective of income. In conclusion, living donation declined in men but remained stable in women between 2005 and 2015, and income appeared to have a greater effect on living donation in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagbir Gill
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; .,Department of Medicine, Center for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yayuk Joffres
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caren Rose
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julie Lesage
- Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; and
| | - David Landsberg
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew Kadatz
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John Gill
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Center for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
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30
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Semrau L. Reassessing the Likely Harms to Kidney Vendors in Regulated Organ Markets. THE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE AND PHILOSOPHY 2017; 42:634-652. [DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhx025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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31
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Thiessen C, Jaji Z, Joyce M, Zimbrean P, Reese P, Gordon EJ, Kulkarni S. Opting out: a single-centre pilot study assessing the reasons for and the psychosocial impact of withdrawing from living kidney donor evaluation. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2017; 43:756-761. [PMID: 28258071 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2016-103512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding why individuals opt out of living donation is crucial to enhancing protections for all living donors and to identify modifiable barriers to donation. We developed an ethical approach to conducting research on individuals who opted out of living kidney donation and applied it in a small-scale qualitative study at one US transplant centre. The seven study participants (64% response rate) had varied reasons for opting out, the most prominent of which was concern about the financial burden from lost wages during the postoperative period. Several reported feeling alone during their decision-making process. Although no participants used an alibi, a centre-provided statement of non-eligibility to donate, all believed that centres should offer alibis to help preserve donor autonomy. Given the complexity of participants' decisions and the emotions they experienced before and after deciding not to donate, we suggest approaches for independent living donor advocates to support this population. This study demonstrates that research on individuals who opt out of donation is feasible and yields valuable insight into methods to improve the evaluation experience for potential living donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Thiessen
- Department of Surgery, Section of Organ Transplantation and Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zainab Jaji
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael Joyce
- Department of Surgery, Section of Organ Transplantation and Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Paula Zimbrean
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peter Reese
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elisa J Gordon
- Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Center for Healthcare Studies, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sanjay Kulkarni
- Department of Surgery, Section of Organ Transplantation and Immunology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Barnieh L, Collister D, Manns B, Lam NN, Shojai S, Lorenzetti D, Gill JS, Klarenbach S. A Scoping Review for Strategies to Increase Living Kidney Donation. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2017; 12:1518-1527. [PMID: 28818845 PMCID: PMC5586566 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.01470217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The literature on strategies to increase the number of potential living kidney donors is extensive and has yet to be characterized. Scoping reviews are a novel methodology for systematically assessing a wide breadth of a given body of literature and may be done before conducting a more targeted systematic review. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We performed a scoping review and summarized the evidence for existing strategies to increase living kidney donation. RESULTS Our review identified seven studies that tested interventions using rigorous methods (i.e., randomized, controlled trials) and outcome measures, all of which focused on using education targeted at potential recipients to increase living donation. Of these, two studies that targeted the potential recipients' close social network reported statistically significant results. Other interventions were identified, but their effect was assessed through quasiexperimental or observational study designs. CONCLUSIONS We identified an important gap in the literature for evidence-based strategies to increase living kidney donation. From the limited data available, strategies directed at potential recipients and their social networks are the most promising. These results can inform transplant programs that are considering strategies to increase living kidney donation and highlight the need for conduct of high-quality study to increase living donation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Barnieh
- Division of Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David Collister
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Braden Manns
- Department of Community Health Sciences and
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Foothills Medical Center, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and
| | - Ngan N. Lam
- Division of Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Soroush Shojai
- Division of Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Diane Lorenzetti
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Foothills Medical Center, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and
| | - John S. Gill
- Division of Nephrology, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Scott Klarenbach
- Division of Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Lentine KL, Kasiske BL, Levey AS, Adams PL, Alberú J, Bakr MA, Gallon L, Garvey CA, Guleria S, Li PKT, Segev DL, Taler SJ, Tanabe K, Wright L, Zeier MG, Cheung M, Garg AX. Summary of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors. Transplantation 2017; 101:1783-1792. [PMID: 28737659 PMCID: PMC5542788 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) engaged an evidence review team and convened a work group to produce a guideline to evaluate and manage candidates for living kidney donation. The evidence for most guideline recommendations is sparse and many "ungraded" expert consensus recommendations were made to guide the donor candidate evaluation and care before, during, and after donation. The guideline advocates for replacing decisions based on assessments of single risk factors in isolation with a comprehensive approach to risk assessment using the best available evidence. The approach to simultaneous consideration of each candidate's profile of demographic and health characteristics advances a new framework for assessing donor candidate risk and for defensible shared decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Josefina Alberú
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Philip Kam-Tao Li
- Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dorry L. Segev
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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34
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Lentine KL, Kasiske BL, Levey AS, Adams PL, Alberú J, Bakr MA, Gallon L, Garvey CA, Guleria S, Li PKT, Segev DL, Taler SJ, Tanabe K, Wright L, Zeier MG, Cheung M, Garg AX. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors. Transplantation 2017; 101:S1-S109. [PMID: 28742762 PMCID: PMC5540357 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The 2017 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors is intended to assist medical professionals who evaluate living kidney donor candidates and provide care before, during and after donation. The guideline development process followed the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and guideline recommendations are based on systematic reviews of relevant studies that included critical appraisal of the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations. However, many recommendations, for which there was no evidence or no systematic search for evidence was undertaken by the Evidence Review Team, were issued as ungraded expert opinion recommendations. The guideline work group concluded that a comprehensive approach to risk assessment should replace decisions based on assessments of single risk factors in isolation. Original data analyses were undertaken to produce a "proof-in-concept" risk-prediction model for kidney failure to support a framework for quantitative risk assessment in the donor candidate evaluation and defensible shared decision making. This framework is grounded in the simultaneous consideration of each candidate's profile of demographic and health characteristics. The processes and framework for the donor candidate evaluation are presented, along with recommendations for optimal care before, during, and after donation. Limitations of the evidence are discussed, especially regarding the lack of definitive prospective studies and clinical outcome trials. Suggestions for future research, including the need for continued refinement of long-term risk prediction and novel approaches to estimating donation-attributable risks, are also provided.In citing this document, the following format should be used: Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Living Kidney Donor Work Group. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Care of Living Kidney Donors. Transplantation. 2017;101(Suppl 8S):S1-S109.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Josefina Alberú
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dorry L. Segev
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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35
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Chan-On C, Sarwal MM. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Current Status and Unmet Needs in Kidney Transplantation in Southeast Asia. Front Med (Lausanne) 2017; 4:84. [PMID: 28691007 PMCID: PMC5481314 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2017.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To address the unmet needs in the face of a growing demand for end-stage renal failure management and kidney transplantation in Asia, we have conducted a critical analysis of published literature and national registries to evaluate clinical outcomes and the rates of organ donation in Southeast Asia and the challenges facing these regions with regards to regulation, choice of donor source, and funding. Based on the available data, suggestions are proposed for an advancement of rates of organ donation and access, with emphasis on improved regulation and public education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitranon Chan-On
- Division of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.,Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Minnie M Sarwal
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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36
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Psychosocial Outcomes 3 to 10 Years After Donation in the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study. Transplantation 2017; 100:1257-69. [PMID: 27152918 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of liver donors' psychosocial outcomes focus on the short term and rely largely on quality-of-life measures not specific to donation. We sought to examine long-term donation effects on 3 psychosocial domains: perceived physical, emotional, and socioeconomic outcomes. METHODS Individuals donating 3 to 10 years previously at 9 centers were eligible for telephone surveys. Survey responses were examined descriptively. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct donor groups based on response profiles across psychosocial domains. Potential predictors of response profiles were evaluated with regression analysis. RESULTS Five hundred seventeen donors (66%) participated (M = 5.8 years postdonation, SD = 1.9). Fifteen percent to 48% of donors endorsed current donation-related physical health problems and concerns, and 7%-60% reported socioeconomic concerns (eg, insurance difficulties, financial expenditures). However, on average, donors experienced high psychological growth, and 90% felt positively about donation. Cluster analysis revealed 5 donor groups. One group showed high psychological benefit, with little endorsement of physical or socioeconomic concerns (15% of donors). Four groups showed less favorable profiles, with varying combinations of difficulties. The largest such group showed high endorsement of physical concerns and financial expenditures, and only modest psychological benefit (31% of donors). Men and nonHispanic whites were most likely to have unfavorable response profiles (Ps < 0.01). Compared with donors aged 19 to 30 years, older donors were less likely to have unfavorable profiles; these differences were significant for donors in the >40 to 50 year age group (Ps < 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Even many years postdonation, donors report adverse physical and socioeconomic effects, but positive emotional effects as well. Identification of response profiles and predictors may improve targeting of postdonation surveillance and care.
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37
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Gill JS, Delmonico F, Klarenbach S, Capron AM. Providing Coverage for the Unique Lifelong Health Care Needs of Living Kidney Donors Within the Framework of Financial Neutrality. Am J Transplant 2017; 17:1176-1181. [PMID: 27888569 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.14147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Organ donation should neither enrich donors nor impose financial burdens on them. We described the scope of health care required for all living kidney donors, reflecting contemporary understanding of long-term donor health outcomes; proposed an approach to identify donor health conditions that should be covered within the framework of financial neutrality; and proposed strategies to pay for this care. Despite the Affordable Care Act in the United States, donors continue to have inadequate coverage for important health conditions that are donation related or that may compromise postdonation kidney function. Amendment of Medicare regulations is needed to clarify that surveillance and treatment of conditions that may compromise postdonation kidney function following donor nephrectomy will be covered without expense to the donor. In other countries lacking health insurance for all residents, sufficient data exist to allow the creation of a compensation fund or donor insurance policies to ensure appropriate care. Providing coverage for donation-related sequelae as well as care to preserve postdonation kidney function ensures protection against the financial burdens of health care encountered by donors throughout their lives. Providing coverage for this care should thus be cost-effective, even without considering the health care cost savings that occur for living donor transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Gill
- Division of Nephrology, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - F Delmonico
- Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center, Boston, MA
| | - S Klarenbach
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - A M Capron
- Gould School of Law and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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38
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Stoler A, Kessler JB, Ashkenazi T, Roth AE, Lavee J. Incentivizing Organ Donor Registrations with Organ Allocation Priority. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2017; 26:500-510. [PMID: 27125490 DOI: 10.1002/hec.3328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
How donor organs are allocated for transplant can affect their scarcity. In 2008, Israel's Parliament passed an Organ Transplantation Law granting priority on organ donor waiting lists to individuals who had previously registered as organ donors. Beginning in November 2010, public awareness campaigns advertised the priority policy to the public. Since April 2012, priority has been added to the routine medical criteria in organ allocation decisions. We evaluate the introduction of priority for registered organ donors using Israeli data on organ donor registration from 1992 to 2013. We find that registrations increased when information about the priority law was made widely available. We find an even larger increase in registration rates in the 2 months leading up to a program deadline, after which priority would only be granted with a 3-year delay. We also find that the registration rate responds positively to public awareness campaigns, to the ease of registration (i.e. allowing for registering online and by phone) and to an election drive that included placing registration opportunities in central voting locations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avraham Stoler
- Department of Economics, DePaul University and Coherent Economics, Highland Park, IL, USA
| | - Judd B Kessler
- The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Alvin E Roth
- Department of Economics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Lavee
- Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine and the Heart Transplantation Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
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39
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DiMartini A, Dew MA, Liu Q, Simpson MA, Ladner DP, Smith AR, Zee J, Abbey S, Gillespie BW, Weinrieb R, Mandell MS, Fisher RA, Emond JC, Freise CE, Sherker AH, Butt Z. Social and Financial Outcomes of Living Liver Donation: A Prospective Investigation Within the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study 2 (A2ALL-2). Am J Transplant 2017; 17:1081-1096. [PMID: 27647626 PMCID: PMC5359081 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Because results from single-center (mostly kidney) donor studies demonstrate interpersonal relationship and financial strains for some donors, we conducted a liver donor study involving nine centers within the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study 2 (A2ALL-2) consortium. Among other initiatives, A2ALL-2 examined the nature of these outcomes following donation. Using validated measures, donors were prospectively surveyed before donation and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 mo after donation. Repeated-measures regression models were used to examine social relationship and financial outcomes over time and to identify relevant predictors. Of 297 eligible donors, 271 (91%) consented and were interviewed at least once. Relationship changes were positive overall across postdonation time points, with nearly one-third reporting improved donor family and spousal or partner relationships and >50% reporting improved recipient relationships. The majority of donors, however, reported cumulative out-of-pocket medical and nonmedical expenses, which were judged burdensome by 44% of donors. Lower income predicted burdensome donation costs. Those who anticipated financial concerns and who held nonprofessional positions before donation were more likely to experience adverse financial outcomes. These data support the need for initiatives to reduce financial burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- A DiMartini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA
| | - MA Dew
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA
| | - Q Liu
- Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - MA Simpson
- Lahey Hospital and Medical Center Clinical Research and Education, Burlington, MA, USA,Department of Transplantation, Burlington, MA, USA
| | - DP Ladner
- Northwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC), Chicago, IL, USA,Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - AR Smith
- Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Departments of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J Zee
- Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S Abbey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto ON, CA
| | - BW Gillespie
- Departments of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - R Weinrieb
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - MS Mandell
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Denver CO, USA
| | - RA Fisher
- Department of Transplant Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA (current affiliation, Beth Israel Deaconess Department of Surgery, Harvard University)
| | - JC Emond
- Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - CE Freise
- Department of Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - AH Sherker
- Liver Diseases Research Branch, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Z Butt
- Northwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC), Chicago, IL, USA,Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA,Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL, USA
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40
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Mittelman M, Thiessen C, Chon WJ, Clayville K, Cronin DC, Fisher JS, Fry-Revere S, Gross JA, Hanneman J, Henderson ML, Ladin K, Mysel H, Sherman LA, Willock L, Gordon EJ. Miscommunicating NOTA Can Be Costly to Living Donors. Am J Transplant 2017; 17:578-580. [PMID: 27599256 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.14036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M Mittelman
- American Living Organ Donor Network, Philadelphia, PA
| | - C Thiessen
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - W J Chon
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | - K Clayville
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - D C Cronin
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - J S Fisher
- Scripps Clinic/Green Hospital, La Jolla, CA
| | - S Fry-Revere
- American Living Organ Donor Network, Center for Ethical Solutions, Washington, DC
| | | | - J Hanneman
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | | | - K Ladin
- Tufts University, Boston, MA
| | - H Mysel
- Living Kidney Donor Network, Winnetka, IL
| | - L A Sherman
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - L Willock
- Biomedical Institutional Review Board, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - E J Gordon
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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41
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LaPointe Rudow D, Cohen D. Practical Approaches to Mitigating Economic Barriers to Living Kidney Donation for Patients and Programs. CURRENT TRANSPLANTATION REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40472-017-0135-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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43
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Statement of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group Regarding Payments to Families of Deceased Organ Donors. Transplantation 2016; 100:2006-9. [DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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44
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Stoler A, Kessler JB, Ashkenazi T, Roth AE, Lavee J. Incentivizing Authorization for Deceased Organ Donation With Organ Allocation Priority: The First 5 Years. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:2639-45. [PMID: 27013023 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The allocation system of donor organs for transplantation may affect their scarcity. In 2008, Israel's Parliament passed the Organ Transplantation Law, which grants priority on waiting lists for transplants to candidates who are first-degree relatives of deceased organ donors or who previously registered as organ donors themselves. Several public campaigns have advertised the existence of the law since November 2010. We evaluated the effect of the law using all deceased donation requests made in Israel during the period 1998-2015. We use logistic regression to compare the authorization rates of the donors' next of kin in the periods before (1998-2010) and after (2011-2015) the public was made aware of the law. The authorization rate for donation in the period after awareness was substantially higher (55.1% vs. 45.0%, odds ratio [OR] 1.43, p = 0.0003) and reached an all-time high rate of 60.2% in 2015. This increase was mainly due to an increase in the authorization rate of next of kin of unregistered donors (51.1% vs. 42.2%). We also found that the likelihood of next-of-kin authorization for donation was approximately twice as high when the deceased relative was a registered donor rather than unregistered (89.4% vs. 44.6%, OR 14.27, p < 0.0001). We concluded that the priority law is associated with an increased authorization rate for organ donation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Stoler
- Department of Economics, DePaul University, Chicago, IL.,Coherent Economics, Highland Park, IL
| | - J B Kessler
- Department of Business Economics and Public Policy, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - T Ashkenazi
- Israel National Transplant Center, State Ministry of Health, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - A E Roth
- Department of Economics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - J Lavee
- Heart Transplantation Unit, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Leviev Heart Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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45
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Rodrigue JR, Schold JD, Mandelbrot DA, Taber DJ, Phan V, Baliga PK. Concern for Lost Income Following Donation Deters Some Patients From Talking to Potential Living Donors. Prog Transplant 2016; 26:292-298. [PMID: 27495327 DOI: 10.1177/1526924816661332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Some living kidney donors report lost income during recovery from surgery. Little is known about whether concern for living donor's lost income affects the decision to undergo donation evaluation and the willingness of transplant candidates to discuss living kidney donation (LKD) with others. OBJECTIVE To examine whether transplant patients were told by potential donors about lost income concerns and whether patients chose not to discuss LKD with others due to lost income concerns. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Kidney transplant patients (185 wait-listed candidates, 171 deceased donor recipients, and 100 live donor recipients) at 2 centers completed a questionnaire to assess whether concern about donor's lost income was a consideration in discussion about LKD with others. RESULTS One-third (32%) were told by a family member/friend that they were willing to donate but were concerned about potential lost income. The majority of those who expressed financial concern (64%) did not initiate donation evaluation. Many patients (42%) chose not to discuss living donation with a family member/friend due to concern about the impact of lost income on the donor. In the multivariable model, lower annual household income was the only statistically significant predictor of both having a potential donor expressing lost income concern and choosing not to talk to someone because of lost income concern. CONCLUSION Findings from the current study underscore how concern about income loss for living donors may affect decision-making by both transplant candidates and potential donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Rodrigue
- 1 Center for Transplant Outcomes and Quality Improvement, The Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.,2 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse D Schold
- 3 Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - David J Taber
- 5 Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,6 Department of Pharmacy, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Van Phan
- 5 Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Prabhakar K Baliga
- 5 Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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46
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47
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Hays R, Rodrigue JR, Cohen D, Danovitch G, Matas A, Schold J, LaPointe Rudow D. Financial Neutrality for Living Organ Donors: Reasoning, Rationale, Definitions, and Implementation Strategies. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:1973-81. [PMID: 27037542 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 03/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, live organ donation can be a costly and burdensome undertaking for donors. While most donation-related medical expenses are covered, many donors still face lost wages, travel expenses, incidentals, and potential for future insurability problems. Despite widespread consensus that live donors (LD) should not be responsible for the costs associated with donation, little has changed to alleviate financial burdens for LDs in the last decade. To achieve this goal, the transplant community must actively pursue strategies and policies to eliminate unreimbursed out-of-pocket costs to LDs. Costs should be more appropriately distributed across all stakeholders; this will also make live donation possible for people who, in the current system, cannot afford to proceed. We propose the goal of LD "financial neutrality," offer an operational definition to include the coverage/reimbursement of all medical, travel, and lodging costs, along with lost wages, related to the act of donating an organ, and guidance for consideration of medical care coverage, and wage and other expense reimbursement. The intent of this report is to provide a foundation to inform discussion within the transplant community and to advance initiatives for policy and resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hays
- Transplant Center, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI
| | - J R Rodrigue
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - D Cohen
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - G Danovitch
- Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - A Matas
- Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, Minneapolis, MN
| | - J Schold
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - D LaPointe Rudow
- Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
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48
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Rodrigue JR, Schold JD, Morrissey P, Whiting J, Vella J, Kayler LK, Katz D, Jones J, Kaplan B, Fleishman A, Pavlakis M, Mandelbrot DA. Direct and Indirect Costs Following Living Kidney Donation: Findings From the KDOC Study. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:869-76. [PMID: 26845630 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Some living kidney donors (LKDs) incur costs associated with donation, although these costs are not well characterized in the United States. We collected cost data in the 12 mo following donation from 182 LKDs participating in the multicenter prospective Kidney Donor Outcomes Cohort (KDOC) Study. Most LKDs (n = 167, 92%) had one direct cost or more following donation, including ground transportation (86%), health care (41%), meals (53%), medications (36%), lodging (23%), and air transportation (12%). LKDs missed 33 072 total work hours, 40% of which were unpaid and led to $302 175 in lost wages (mean $1660). Caregivers lost $68 655 in wages (mean $377). Although some donors received financial assistance, 89% had a net financial loss in the 12-mo period, with one-third (33%) reporting a loss exceeding $2500. Financial burden was higher for those with greater travel distance to the transplant center (Spearman's ρ = 0.26, p < 0.001), lower household income (Spearman's ρ = -0.25, p < 0.001), and more unpaid work hours missed (Spearman's ρ = 0.52, p < 0.001). Achieving financial neutrality for LKDs must be an immediate priority for the transplant community, governmental agencies, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, and society at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Rodrigue
- Center for Transplant Outcomes and Quality Improvement, The Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - J D Schold
- Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - P Morrissey
- Transplant Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI
| | - J Whiting
- Maine Transplant Center, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
| | - J Vella
- Maine Transplant Center, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
| | - L K Kayler
- Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation, Bronx, NY.,Regional Center of Excellence for Transplantation and Kidney Care, Erie County Medical Center, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - D Katz
- Organ Transplantation Program, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
| | - J Jones
- Organ Transplantation Program, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
| | - B Kaplan
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.,School for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
| | - A Fleishman
- Center for Transplant Outcomes and Quality Improvement, The Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
| | - M Pavlakis
- Center for Transplant Outcomes and Quality Improvement, The Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - D A Mandelbrot
- Center for Transplant Outcomes and Quality Improvement, The Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.,Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
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49
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Champney TH. The business of bodies: Ethical perspectives on for-profit body donation companies. Clin Anat 2015; 29:25-9. [DOI: 10.1002/ca.22643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H. Champney
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Miller School of Medicine; University of Miami; Miami Florida
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50
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A Primer of Neoclassical (Traditional) and Behavioral Economic Principles for Organ Transplantation. Transplantation 2015; 99:2247-51. [DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000000984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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