Organ donation majority for decision-making solution

Organ donations: majority of Germans for decision-making

31/05/2011

41 percent of Germans took part in a survey conducted by the Opinion and Research Institute „Forsa“ pronounced for the so-called decision-making solution in organ donation. This variant provides that every person is interviewed during his lifetime on his personal donation behavior. This reports the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and refers to a Forsa survey study.

Majority is for changes in the transplant lawz
A majority of respondents is in favor of a change to the transplant law. About two-thirds advocated reforming the previous legislation. This is shown by a poll published today on Tuesday by the Forsa Institute in Hamburg. The study commissioner was the Techniker Krankenkasse.

41 percent for decision-making
41 percent are in favor of the decision variant of the SPD parliamentary group leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Steinmeier, who had even donated a kidney to his wife, suggests asking every citizen about his willingness to donate. The result is then noted either in the identity card, passport, driver's license or the health insurance card. With the decision-making solution, relatives and doctors in the case of an organ donation know whether the affected person was in agreement.

Opposition solution during lifetime
On the other hand, 23 percent of the respondents are in favor of introducing a so-called contradiction variant. This means that every person, even without being asked, is a potential organ donor, provided that he does not expressly contradict himself during his lifetime.
Currently, the explicit consent applies. Only those who obtain an organ donor card and are expressly in favor of becoming a donor in the event of an accident will only be given a life-saving organ. Only one in three Germans spoke out in favor of the current solution.

Significant minority has organ donor card
About 18 percent of Germans have a donor card. 86 percent said they could imagine getting an organ donor card. Both results reflect a clear ambivalence. Both figures, however, have increased significantly in the last three years. „Nevertheless, the topic has to move more into people's everyday lives“ CEO Norbert Klusen said. „Even though both values ​​have increased in the last three years, we need to put the issue more into people's everyday lives“, warned the head of the TK health insurance, Norbert Klusen. „However, it is important not to confront people unprepared with this difficult topic, but to provide them with enough information to form an opinion.“

According to the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation (DSO), about 1,300 people were removed from their bodies in the last year of 2010 after death. Thus, the number of transplants in Germany has reached its previous record. The experts expect that the ratio will continue to increase. However, the need for information among people of middle age (26 to 35 years) is particularly high. During the survey, this age group stated that they did not yet have an organ donation card due to insufficient information. People of the older age group from 65 years also showed below-average information. One in five said they had too little information. (Sb)

Also read:
Organ donations reach record levels in Germany
Federal Health Minister promotes organ donation

Picture: Günther Richter