Nr. 1 - 1. Quartal 1996

How to Allocate the Scarce Donor Organs

V. H. Schmidt

In contrast to several other difficult questions facing transplant medicine, the problem of how to allocate the tragically scarce donor organs has thus far not been a matter of public debate in Germany. The reason for this non-event are essentially twofold: a widespread belief exists that, first, the problem has long been solved and that, second, all available organs are allocated predominantly (if not exclusively) by "medical” criteria. Neither the former nor the latter is correct though. Indeed, as is shwon in the article, the very notion of "medical” criteria is misplaced because, strictly speaking, there are in fact no such criteria. If this is true, however, then the choice of adequate solutions cannot be the sole prerequisite of the medical profession. Rather, it is a task concerning society as a whole, and it is therefore time to begin a society-wide discussion on how it should best be dealt with in the future.

Keywords:

Organ allocation, local distribution, two notions of success, age rationing

Kurztitel:

Schmidt, V. H. (1996) TxMed 1:39

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