Calling All Primary Care Practitioners: Promoting Organ and Tissue Donation

A little over two years ago, I was fortunate enough to act as a living liver donor to an 11-month old infant in need of a transplant. While I have always been a firm believer in organ and tissue donation, the process of becoming a donor myself truly opened my eyes to the dire need for improvement within the realm of organ and tissue donation in Canada. In the time since, I have been able to research the topic in greater depth, and have come to realize, as many others have, that the answer to the organ/tissue shortage across the country is multifaceted, and as with everything, changes can, and must be made from the level of primary care upwards if we hope to succeed. The good news is that there are a number of initiatives currently being implemented throughout the country. This past August, it was announced that a series of new national registries will be created through the work of the Canadian Council for Donation and Transplantation which has merged with Canadian Blood Services. These new registries will allow for greater inter-provincial coordination, hopefully increasing the efficient use of donor organs, both living and deceased (1). Furthermore, the acceptance of organs for donation after cardiac death has also contributed positively to the organ crisis currently being faced in Canadian healthcare. Despite these advances however, more can be done at a primary care level. The reality is that while many of us may not personally require the services of an organ donor in the future, each of us has the potential to assist others once we have passed away. Misinformation and lack of understanding of the processes of organ and tissue donation abound in the Canadian public, and only through education can we hope to remedy this situation. Many of the more common fallacies are very quickly and easily addressed, taking at most a few minutes of discussion to clear up any uncertainty on the part of the patient. Questions of who may donate, what can be donated, and religious viewpoints on donation are on the minds of many people, but few get the opportunity to ask these questions of their healthcare provider. In a system where the decision to donate is left up to the individual, it is imperative that people be well-informed, so as to be able to make the right decision for themselves, based on their …