Public preferences for donor kidney allocation: a study in Iran.
BACKGROUND
Fair allocation of donor organs is essential to maintain public trust in a public healthcare system. A study of the public's views and opinions of this could clarify non-medical prioritization criteria. We report our survey of public opinion of criteria for donor kidney allocation.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study using random digit dialing to phone interview 706 Tehran residents. Patient scenarios were presented to determine interviewee opinions on nine recipient criteria: probability for survival, previous transplant history, time on the waiting list, age, an individual's role in developing their kidney failure, gender, marital status, social status, and financial situation. Each scenario introduced two patients and interviewees then chose the better candidate for transplantation.


RESULTS
More than 50% of the participants chose length of waiting time, a patient's role in causing their disease, age, and survival time after transplantation as important allograft allocation criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
This study disclosed other criteria in addition to the likelihood for successful transplantation-the patient's role in the development of their disease and patient age-which should be prioritization considerations.
Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Fariba
F
Asghari
Mohammadali
M
Broumand
Akram
A
Heidari
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D011639:Public Opinion; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult
ethics; kidney transplantation; organ allocation; public survey; waiting time