Most live donors mistakenly believe they are well-informed of liver donation

[Clark]

http://www.healio.com/hepatology/transplantation/news/online/%7B307ad557-7973-464a-8970-103e5616849b%7D/most-live-donors-mistakenly-believe-they-are-well-informed-of-liver-donation


Most live donors mistakenly believe they are well-informed of liver donation

Gordon EJ, et al. J Hepatol. 2015;doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2015.05.003.

Researchers found that people who were live donors for liver transplantation believed they were well-informed on donation, but actually lacked comprehension of the subject, according to study data."Questions have been raised as to whether the current informed consent process adequately informs [live donors] about the risks of [living donor liver transplant]," the researchers wrote. "Inherent to the doctrine of informed consent is that the donor expresses their autonomy and assures that their consent is given voluntarily. Despite CMS requirements and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network guidelines for informed consent of living donors, studies report inconsistencies and problems with the informed consent process."

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"Our findings suggest that the informed consent process should be revised to effectively convey relevant information about living donation and assess donor appreciation in a standardized way," the researchers concluded. "Improving the informed consent process may help prepare donors for the donation process and enhance postoperative functional health, greater engagement in postoperative care, quality of life and satisfaction." – by Melinda Stevens