“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”: exploring economic and moral subtexts of the “organ shortage” problem in public views on organ donation

Abstract

The debate over financial incentives and market models for organ procurement represents a key trend in recent bioethics. In this paper, we wish to reassess one of its central premises-the idea of organ shortage. While the problem is often presented as an objective statistical fact that can be taken for granted, we will take a closer look at the underlying framework expressed in the common rhetoric of "scarcity", "shortage" or "unfulfilled demand". On the basis of theoretical considerations as well as a socioempirical examination of public attitudes, we will argue that this rhetoric has an economic subtext that imbues the debate with normative premises that have far-reaching social and ethical consequences and need to be made explicit and discussed.

The ethics of ‘public understanding of ethics’—why and how bioethics expertise should include public and patients’ voices

“…Their own viewpoints and interests as persons potentially affected by organ donation often do not receive a corresponding degree of attention—which is ethically quite problematic. The direct inclusion of “lay people” in focus group discussions has shown (Schweda and Schicktanz 2009; Schicktanz and Schweda 2009) that being addressed as a future deceased donor (or living donor) constitutes an ethically highly loaded perspective. The idea of being seen as a sort of public organ reservoir by some doctors and patients in the case of brain-death lets them question whether there is a fair and consistent justification, since—e.g.…”

The Organ Shortage Crisis: Analyzing MA Perspectives and Considering Future Donation Legislation

“…Pre-existing research regarding awareness on organ donation and public opinion on solutions to the organ shortage crisis exists, such as in Morocco (El Hangouche et al, 2018), however no research in this field has been done in Massachusetts, or in the United States for that matter. Another pre-existing study is one done in the United Kingdom, a study that focused on comparing individuals with specific "life experience," which will be replicated in this study (Schicktanz, S., & Schweda, M., 2009). Due to this, this research will be adding onto those previous studies and fill a research gap, therefore contributing to the body of knowledge.…”

Between Scylla and Charybdis: Charting an Ethical Course for Research Into Financial Incentives for Living Kidney Donation

“…As with exploitation and undue influence, whether an individual feels they have experienced commodification and harm as a result is an individual perception. The strict dichotomy between the concepts of purely altruistic donation and market‐oriented model of donation does not reflect donors' actual decision‐making process . Sperm and egg donors who profit from their donations have not reported perceptions of commodification .…”