Conflict of interest in the procurement of organs from cadavers following withdrawal of life support.
The University of Pittsburgh policy for procuring organs from non-heart-beating cadaver donors recognizes the potential for conflicts of interest between caring for a "hopelessly ill" patient who has forgone life-sustaining treatment and caring for a potential organ donor. The policy calls for a separation between those medical personnel who care for the gravely ill patient and those involved with the care of transplant recipients. While such a separation is possible in theory, it is difficult or impossible to attain in practice. However, such a separation of duties would be unnecessary if an arbitrator were appointed to monitor the proceedings as they take place on a case-by-case basis. In this way, the biases--real or potential--of the individuals involved could be identified, and the harmful effects of the unavoidable conflicts of interest could be minimized.
University of Nebraska Medical School, Omaha.
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Shaw
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002102:Cadaver; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004991:Ethics, Institutional; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000592:standards; D018594:Human Body; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D028761:Withholding Treatment