Learning from a social experiment in consent for deceased organ donation

The organ donation and transplantation system in Canada is currently transforming from a fragmented system with stagnant performance to a collaborative system with sustained incremental improvement. A potential donor intersects with the health care system in a predictable trajectory, from prehospital care to emergency department to intensive care unit to operating room. The transition from attempts to save a life, to acceptance of inevitable death, to organ donation is a complex, fragile and emotionally challenging, albeit predictable, process for both families and health care providers. Optimization of each step is required to improve the system. Here, Shemie discusses the recent policy changes to increase deceased organ donation.