The live organ donor's consent: is it informed and voluntary?

Abstract

Live organ donors represent nearly 50% of the solid organ donors in the United States. This unique population of individuals accepts risk for the benefit of another. The main justification by the medical community for permitting such risk to live donors has been respect for their autonomy, realized through the practice of informed consent. This article examines the key criteria of informed consent--understanding and non-control (voluntariness)--in the context of live organ donation. It concludes that more prospective studies are needed to improve the process of informed consent in this population.