Or we could make a change in some places that is already implemented: changing the default of consent to "yes" rather than "no" and continuing to have a volunteer situation but with "opt-out" rather than "opt-in"
I would like to see multiple changes:
1) Default-in.
2) The transplant list is sorted by what % of your adult life you have not been opted out. Children get the average of their parents. The 0/0 case (medically invalid before reaching 18) is treated as 100%.
3) The ability to put notes on the status. I have my driver's license marked no, not because I'm opposed but because 40 years ago a malarial mosquito bit me. In theory it was wiped out--but it returned after more than 20 years. Is it still lurking there? Who knows? They certainly shouldn't be transplanting any organs without the medical team knowing that piece of information!
Loren, I’m certain that you are aware, but prior to transplantation, blood is screened for transmissible disease in addition to the testing typing and cross match, and HLA groups, If the donor is known to have had a malaria infection, a highly sensitive test is performed to determine if there is any remaining plasmodium. If you’ve been properly treated you should not still have any plasmodium burden.
if everyone became a donor unless they opted out, not everyone would be a suitable organ donor, depending on age, cause of death, where the person was when they died, and of course if they carried any number of transmissible viral disease or had other conditions.
All organ donors are screened for transmissible viral diseases and increasingly for some parasitic diseases as well. These tests must be carried out and results reported in a very short time frame or the organs are useless.
This sort of testing is highly regulated to ensure the safety of any organs or blood used in transplants or transfusions.