title: Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal and the Ethical and Legal Obligations of Healthcare Providers.
abstract: Physicians and other health care professionals seem well placed to play a role in the monitoring and, perhaps, in the curtailment of the trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ removal. They serve as important sources of information for patients and may have access to information that can be used to gain a greater understanding of organ trafficking networks. However, well-established legal and ethical obligations owed to their patients can create challenging policy tensions that can make it difficult to implement policy action at the level of the physician/patient. In this article, we explore the role-and legal and ethical obligations-of physicians at 3 key stages of patient interaction: the information phase, the pretransplant phase, and the posttransplant phase. Although policy challenges remain, physicians can still play a vital role by, for example, providing patients with a frank disclosure of the relevant risks and harms associated with the illegal organ trade and an honest account of the physician's own moral objections. They can also report colleagues involved in the illegal trade to an appropriate regulatory authority. Existing legal and ethical obligations likely prohibit physicians from reporting patients who have received an illegal organ. However, given the potential benefits that may accrue from the collection of more information about the illegal transactions, this is an area where legal reform should be considered.
authors: Health Law Institute, University of Alberta, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors: Timothy
authors: T
authors: Caulfield
authors: Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Wilma
authors: W
authors: Duijst
authors: Eurotransplant International Foundation, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Bos
authors: National Fraud Unit, Israeli Police, Israel.
authors: Iris
authors: I
authors: Chassis
authors: Renal Foundation, Moldova.
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Codreanu
authors: University of California, Berkeley, CA.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Danovitch
authors: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Gill
authors: University of St. Cyril and Methodius, Republic of Macedonia.
authors: Ninoslav
authors: N
authors: Ivanovski
authors: United Nations, Republic of Liberia.
authors: Milbert
authors: M
authors: Shin