Priority for Organ Donors in the Allocation of Organs: Priority Rules from the Perspective of Equality of Opportunity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Priority for Organ Donors in the Allocation of Organs

T2 - Priority Rules from the Perspective of Equality of Opportunity

AU - Albertsen, Andreas

PY - 2023/8/1

Y1 - 2023/8/1

N2 - Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or declared their willingness to do so? This article examines the Israeli priority rule in light of two prominent critiques of priority rules, pertaining to failure to reciprocate and unfairness. The scope and content of these critiques are interpreted from the perspective of equality of opportunity. Because the Israeli priority rule may be reasonably criticized for unfairness and failing to reward certain behaviors, the article develops an adjusted priority rule, which removes and adjust the elements in the Israeli priority rule deemed problematic. However, such a priority rule is complex to the extent that it may fail to increase donation rates and furthermore introduce new concerns of fairness, as the better off may be better able to navigate the complex adjusted priority rule.

AB - Should priority in the allocation of organs be given to those who have previously donated or declared their willingness to do so? This article examines the Israeli priority rule in light of two prominent critiques of priority rules, pertaining to failure to reciprocate and unfairness. The scope and content of these critiques are interpreted from the perspective of equality of opportunity. Because the Israeli priority rule may be reasonably criticized for unfairness and failing to reward certain behaviors, the article develops an adjusted priority rule, which removes and adjust the elements in the Israeli priority rule deemed problematic. However, such a priority rule is complex to the extent that it may fail to increase donation rates and furthermore introduce new concerns of fairness, as the better off may be better able to navigate the complex adjusted priority rule.

KW - Humans

KW - Tissue Donors

KW - Tissue and Organ Procurement

KW - equality of opportunity

KW - priority rules

KW - ethics

KW - organ allocation

KW - organ donation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85163919979

U2 - 10.1093/jmp/jhad023

DO - 10.1093/jmp/jhad023

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37235745

SN - 0360-5310

VL - 48

SP - 359

EP - 372

JO - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy

JF - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy

IS - 4

ER -