As the United States continues to experience an organ shortage, some state lawmakers are pushing for "opt-out" organ donation policies to bolster the supply of donor tissues, according to a report from STAT.
Opt-out organ donation policies would presume the consent of individuals for participation in organ donation, making all residents organ donors unless they'd specifically chosen to remove themselves from the donor list.
Here are seven things to know.
1. In the U.S., there are nearly 118,000 people on the transplant waiting list. It's estimated 8,000 of these individuals will die waiting for a transplant, according STAT.
2. Variations of opt-out policies are on the books in 25 European countries, including Spain, Belgium and France. The United Kingdom is currently considering such policies.
3. One study, published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that in countries with opt-out donation polices, 90 percent of people donate their organs. In countries with "opt-in" donation policies, less than 15 percent of residents donate organs.
4. Both Connecticut and Texas have introduced bills this year to institute opt-out organ donation policies. The Connecticut legislation was voted down in committee. With the state legislature in recess, the Texas bill remains in committee.
5. "My goal was to get the conversation started," Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., a healthcare attorney and cancer survivor who drafted the failed Connecticut bill, told STAT. "I knew it would be controversial, but nobody asked anyone who was on the transplant waiting list what they thought. … I'm not holding out much hope for this happening soon, but I'm going to continue to raise the issue. I would love to see will happen next year."
6. The pushback against such policies in the U.S. has largely been focused on the importance of individual rights and the dangers of permitting the government to make decisions for the individual. For these reasons, some say such policies may only exacerbate the current organ shortage.
7. "Although it's well-intentioned, we think it could backfire," Alexandra Glazier, president of New England Donor Services, told STAT. "People might be put off and would opt out, not because they're against donation but because they're against government control of their bodies. There's the potential for large numbers of people to opt out."
More articles on quality:
Norton Healthcare launches Kentucky's 1st registered apprenticeship for nurses
3 things hospitals can do now to address overlapping surgeries
Being overweight may help improve outcomes after a stroke, study shows