title: Three proposals to increase Australia's organ supply.
abstract: In 2008 the Australian Government introduced a national reform agenda to increase organ and tissue donation. Australia continues to perform poorly by international standards on measures of organ procurement, however. This paper outlines three proposals to improve donation rates and considers the empirical evidence available for each. A number of ethical objections frequently given to resist such proposals are also addressed. Firstly, it is recommended that Australia implement an 'opt-out' system of organ donation. Secondly, the existing veto rules should be changed to better protect the wishes of those who wish to donate. Finally, a numer of incentives should be offered to increase donation rates; these could include incentives of financial value, but also non-financial incentives such as prioritisation for the receipt of organs for previous donors.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. william.isdale@gmail.com.|Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK. william.isdale@gmail.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Isdale
authors.affiliation: Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.|Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savulescu
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009042:Motivation; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000941:ethics* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics* / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Ethics of organ procurement; Family-veto for organ donation; Incentives for organ donation; Opt-out organ donation