Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The European Commission funded EUROTOLD Project sought to examine the legal and ethical implications of living donor organ transplantation within Europe, facilitated by a multi-centre study acquiring data on practices, laws, policies, attitudes and decision-making processes. METHODS: Methods involving primary sources included interviews with clinical staff and past and present organ donors and recipients, and questionnaire surveys of transplant centres, individual clinical staff and legal experts. These strategies were supplemented by an examination of secondary sources such as official reports, transplantation literature, etc. RESULTS: The surveys generated substantial new evidence relating to transplant centre policies and practices, and the attitudes of physicians toward living donation generally and the use of certain specific classes of donor. The latter was facilitated by the use of case scenarios, providing a window upon factors influencing judgments in this sphere. The interview data confirmed earlier findings about donor decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: Responding centres and clinicians displayed a fairly liberal attitude toward living donation but substantial diversity nonetheless exists with regard to living donor transplant volumes between centres and surrounding acceptable waiting times for transplant. Further research is required to identify precisely the reasons underpinning such disparity.
Keywords: Ethics, Medical, Europe, Family, Informed Consent - legislation & jurisprudence, Interviews as Topic, Living Donors - legislation & jurisprudence, Organ Transplantation, Physicians, Questionnaires, Tissue and Organ Procurement - legislation & jurisprudence, Tissue and Organ Procurement - organization & administration, Tissue and Organ Procurement - standards
In Press
15 Mar 2024 : Review article
Approaches and Challenges in the Current Management of Cytomegalovirus in Transplant Recipients: Highlighti...Ann Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.941185
18 Mar 2024 : Original article
Does Antibiotic Use Increase the Risk of Post-Transplantation Diabetes Mellitus? A Retrospective Study of R...Ann Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.943282
20 Mar 2024 : Original article
Transplant Nephrectomy: A Comparative Study of Timing and Techniques in a Single InstitutionAnn Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.942252
28 Mar 2024 : Original article
Association Between FEV₁ Decline Rate and Mortality in Long-Term Follow-Up of a 21-Patient Pilot Clinical T...Ann Transplant In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AOT.942823
Most Viewed Current Articles
05 Apr 2022 : Original article
Impact of Statins on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence After Living-Donor Liver TransplantationDOI :10.12659/AOT.935604
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e935604
12 Jan 2022 : Original article
Risk Factors for Developing BK Virus-Associated Nephropathy: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study of ...DOI :10.12659/AOT.934738
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e934738
22 Nov 2022 : Original article
Long-Term Effects of Everolimus-Facilitated Tacrolimus Reduction in Living-Donor Liver Transplant Recipient...DOI :10.12659/AOT.937988
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e937988
15 Mar 2022 : Case report
Combined Liver, Pancreas-Duodenum, and Kidney Transplantation for Patients with Hepatitis B Cirrhosis, Urem...DOI :10.12659/AOT.935860
Ann Transplant 2022; 27:e935860