Assessing elements of informed consent among living donors.

ABSTRACT: Living organ donors - 50% of solid organ donors in the United States - represent a unique population who accept medical risk for the benefit of another. One of the main justifications for this practice has been respect for donor autonomy, as realized through informed consent. In this retrospective study of living donors, we investigate two key criteria of informed consent: (i) depth of understanding and (ii) degree of voluntariness. In our survey of 262 living kidney donors 2-40 months post-donation, we found that more than 90% understood the effects of living donation on recipient outcomes, the screening process, and the short-term medical risks of donation. In contrast, only 69% understood the psychological risks of donation; 52% the long-term medical risks of donation; and 32% the finan

SUBMITTER: Valapour M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3070767 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature