peer review of wp2
imour33
WP21.docxY6
Hongkun Yi
Professor Morris
English 2367
2/27/2020
Organ Donation
The debate on organ donation has different dimensions because of the social, moral, and economic issues involved. Scholars have weighed into the issue by providing a different perspective in regard to the benefits and effects of organ donation not only to the donor but also to the receiver. My position in the debate is that organ donation is integrals in saving the lives of patients and preventing early deaths of patients. The problem could be well addressed by improving public education on the benefits and importance of organ donation, establishing proper procurement procedures, and also ensuring donation after circulatory and cardiac deaths. The importance of organ donation cuts across different scholars such that some look at the knowledge and ethical practices, other focus on challenges and opportunities and while others look at the processes all in the desire to help improve the number of donations.
Some articles have argued for ethical considerations in carrying out organ donation. In the article Knowledge and Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation and Organ Donation: Perspectives from Iranian Health Personnel medical scientists Mahmoud Abbasi et al. posit that knowledge and ethical consideration in organ donation are critical and should be underscored using education program to healthcare personnel. The article is in concurrence with my thinking that the education program will help demystify the myths and false beliefs that people form about organ donation. The article develops a new perspective in regard to people who need education and knowledge about organ donation. Previously, the prevailing narrative was that it is the general public that has an ethical and moral question about the system of organ donation. However, Abbasi et al., note that a well-informed health workforce would play an instrumental role in inculcating the culture of an organ donor to demystify the unfounded belief about the system.
In the article Deceased organ donation for transplantation: Challenges and opportunities associate professor of surgery Raffaele Girlanda points that there are challenges and opportunities involved in the effecting deceased organ donation. The article recognizes the need to put in place strategies necessary to tap into the increase in deceased organ donation. However, it is essential to understand the process involved in the deceased organ donation to ensure that potential donors are identified in time to help reduce the number of people on the waitlist. One of the strongest elements in the text is its ability to recognize potential donors in the deceased organ donation. Girlanda notes that "Patients with devastating irreversible brain injury, if medically suitable, are potential deceased donors and strategies are needed to convert them into actual donors" (452) successfully. The central themes expounded in the study are deceased organ donation and the focus way in which the industry can capitalize on the opportunities it presents and also address the challenges it manifests.
One of the challenges faced in organ donation is the breakdown of the process. In the study Breakdown in the Organ Donation Process and Its Effect on Organ Availability medical researchers, Manik Razdan et al., point out that the breakdowns in the organ donation process contribute to the inability to increase the number of organ donors. The main theme in the article is the organ donation process and how it helps either improve or limit access to organ transplants. Razdan et al. assert that "process breakdowns have a strong adverse effect on the likelihood of organ donation but do not affect the organ yield once an eligible decedent becomes an organ donor” (23). The article points to the integral role played by healthcare officers and the need for a better education program to help underscore the importance of carrying out organ donation. The article highlights that one of the ways of preventing the breakdown of the organ donation process involves all the stakeholders. Among the key players who need to understand the process include medical staff, patients, and their family members and pastoral caregivers. The systemic breakdown of the organ donation process contributes to the significant reduction in the number of people willing to donate their organs.
The three articles rely on primary research data as a source of evidence to support various claims about organ donation. The choice and nature of evidence used help articles to develop credibility and persuade the audience through logical means. The article by Abbasi et al. uses a cross-sectional study on 450 health personnel. The choice of health personnel as a respondent in the study is integral in underscoring the discussion on the role of health care providers in the organ donation process. The evidence collected from respondents helped the study to conclude that training to improve the knowledge and ethical understanding among healthcare workers is integral in the success of organ donation project. In the study by Girlanda, the evidence used to support the claims made about the deceased organ donation perfectly helps to underscore the importance and relevance of the topic. For instance, in demonstrating the gap between organs needed and organs available, Girlanda relies on a report by the Health Resources and Services Administration to back the claims made. The study thus appears credible and trustable in regards to claiming about challenges and opportunities available deceased organ donation. The journal article by Razdan et al. also assumes the trajectory as Girlanda as far as the issue of evidence is concerned. Reports by government agencies provide perfect fodder for Razdan at al. to underscore the breakdown of the organ donation process.
There is concurrence in an argument developed by Razdan et al. and that of Abbasi et al. in regards to the role of education in promoting organ donation. Both articles concur that lack of proper knowledge has hampered the ability to increase organ donation. Both articles also highlight the importance of setting up the education program to various stakeholders to bolster the understanding of organ donation and demystify the beliefs that inhibit its acceptability. In addition, the two articles also form a common ground, but with slight variation, regards to the individuals that are supposed to the educational program. Abbasi et al. believe that it will be prudent for healthcare personnel to have the knowledge and skills to help them deal with issues involved in organ donation. In the case of Razdan et al., the educational program needs to expansive that not only healthcare providers need that knowledge but also the general public and every person associated with a potential organ donor. The two articles hinge their argument on the current system provides multiple challenges relating to a lack of proper understanding and knowledge about the working of organ donation.
The strongest argument comes from the article Girlanda as it underscores the issues involved in deceased organ donation in terms of the processes, challenges, and opportunities. The issue of deceased organ donation has been a subject of debate that many people have raised concerned about, including the fear that doctors would do less for terminally ill persons whenever they realize that they are donors. However, Girlanda insists that such a system could be corrected by putting in place a system and measures to prevent abuse. Girlanda writes that “Brain death is determined after irreversible cessation of brain stem activity documented by bedside neurologic tests” (457). The article also identifies the need to involve the family members of potential donors and keep them knowledgeable about the benefits of organ donors and help in the making of informed decisions.
In conclusion, different scholars pursue the issue of organ donation from a varied angle. Interestingly, all articles explored in this study agree on the importance and organ donation and provide mechanisms to better the understanding of the issue at hand. The three articles converge on the argument that the lack of proper understanding and knowledge about organ donation limits access to the number of people who are potential donors. The breakdown in processes of organ donation also plays a significant role in the increase in the number of people seeking organ transplants because the system is not effective enough to attract all potential donors.
Works Cited
Abbasi, Mahmoud et al. “Knowledge and Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation and Organ Donation: Perspectives from Iranian Health Personnel.” Annals of transplantation vol. 23 292-299. 4 May. 2018.
Girlanda, Raffaele. “Deceased organ donation for transplantation: Challenges and opportunities.” World journal of transplantation vol. 6,3 (2016): 451-9.
