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PRESS RELEASE: 'AMA passes new policy to help increase organ donations'
AMA Press Release - For Immediate ReleaseJune 20, 1005
Chicago The American Medical Association adopted new policy today at its annual policy-making meeting to increase life-saving organ donations and to ensure that these donations are done in the most ethical manner.
"More than 88,000 patients are on the national organ transplantation waiting list," said AMA Trustee Peter Carmel, MD. "The new AMA policies explore innovative ways to increase organ donations, and helps raise awareness about the critical shortage of organ donations."
The new AMA policy calls for physicians to encourage and support pilot studies that investigate the effectiveness of presumed consent and mandated choice for organ donation. In presumed consent, a willingness to donate is assumed unless an individual specifically opts-out by withdrawing consent. In mandated choice, individuals are required to express a preference for or against organ donation.
"At this time, there's not enough data to support a national plan of presumed consent or mandated choice for organ donation," said Dr. Carmel. "Last year alone, 7,060 patients on the national organ transplantation list died needlessly because organs were not available. If either of these programs can reduce that number, it's well worth further study."
The AMA also adopted new ethical policy to guide physicians involved in transplanting organs from living donors. These are the first national guidelines to be developed. The guidelines include assigning living donors an advocate team that is primarily concerned with the well-being of the donor, and physician support for the development and maintenance of a national database of living donor outcomes.
"Over the past 10 years the number of living organ donors has more than doubled, and these living donors who give the gift of life require special protection," said Dr. Carmel. "These new ethical guidelines will help physicians as they deal with this unique patient population."
The AMA also updated its existing policy on organ procurement following cardiac death to bring the policy up-to-date.
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For more information, please contact:
Katherine M. Hatwell
Senior Public Information Officer
AMA Media Relations
(202) 789-7419
*Number Source: United Network for Organ Sharing
Last updated: Jun 21, 2005
This press release is located at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/15201.html
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