Organ donation - Australian Organ Donor Register
Organ donation is an emotive issue for many Australians. myDr has spoken to Geoff Leeper, General Manager of the Health Insurance Commission, about the Australian Organ Donor Register.
myDr: Why was the Australian Organ Donor Register established?
Geoff Leeper: In comparison to other similar nations, Australia has a low, and declining, rate of organ donation, representing a serious issue for all Australians. Research has shown that Australians are, on average, 20 times more likely to require a transplant than they are to actually become an organ or tissue donor.
The Australian Organ Donor Register was established to provide an easy and coordinated way for all Australians to record their intention to become an organ and tissue donor. The purpose of the Register is to make people more aware of organ donation, while increasing the number of individual donors in Australia.
myDr: What are its aims within the community?
Geoff Leeper: The primary aim of the Register is to improve the level of organ donation in Australia by improving the profile of organ donation, and providing an easy and simple means for potential donors to record their intentions.
The existence of the Register is also expected to raise awareness of organ donation, and to make people more aware of the benefits and issues surrounding organ and tissue donation. By making the intentions of donors accessible 24 hours a day to authorised users anywhere in Australia, the Register will act as a source of additional information for organ donor coordinators when they are approaching a family to consent to donation.
It is also hoped that the potential donors will be encouraged to discuss their wishes with their family or next of kin. While individuals can use the Register to record their intention to donate their organs, it is their family or next of kin who must have the final say about donation of organs.
Research shows conclusively that the rate of organ donation improves markedly when families are aware of the wishes of a donor. While a person can record their wishes on the Register, it is therefore very important that they make their wishes clear to their family. When this is the case, experience shows that families will confirm the decision to donate.
myDr: What do you think is the prevailing attitude towards organ donation in the Australian community?
Geoff Leeper: Support for organ donation would seem to be very strong — some research indicates that up to 90 per cent of Australians support the idea of organ donation in principle. However, due to the wide number of ways for people to record their status as a donor, it is difficult to get an absolutely accurate picture of the number of potential donors in Australia.
In terms of active support, some research suggests that slightly less than half of the adult population have taken some sort of step to record their status as an intending donor. However, this doesn’t necessarily entail formal steps—it could just mean that a person has discussed the issue with their family or partner. Since November 2000, more than 20,000 Australians have already ‘signed on to save a life’ by joining the Australian Organ Donor Register.
myDr: Do you think there are many myths associated with the processes involved in organ donation?
Geoff Leeper: There is a range of myths and misconceptions about organ donation. Many people believe that they might be too old to donate, or that their level of health or fitness will prevent them from donating. In actual fact, almost anyone can become a donor: people up to 90 years of age can donate some organs. Experience shows that some people will tend to assume incorrectly that they can’t be a donor.
Other myths tend to relate to the actual procedures surrounding donation: people can be concerned that their body may be disfigured, that they mightn’t really be dead, or that their donor status may result in a lesser standard of medical care.
The processes surrounding organ donation are very carefully managed. Before donation can proceed, tests are performed by independent doctors to ensure that the patient is actually dead.
Once donation occurs, the procedure is no different to any other surgical operation, and is performed by highly skilled surgeons. The donor is treated with respect and dignity at all times. Regardless of whether a person is an intending donor or not, they can expect to receive the highest possible level of care — medical staff will do their utmost to preserve life.
The other major misconception relates to religion: many people wrongly believe that their religious beliefs will prevent them from being considered for donation.
myDr: What are the potential benefits you may be providing by donating your organs?
Geoff Leeper: As many people would be aware, organ and tissue donation can offer a new chance at life, or an improvement to the quality of life, for Australians with life-threatening or serious illnesses. One donor can potentially save or improve the lives of up to 10 other people.
Over the past 60 years, more than 30,000 Australians have received transplants, and improved survival rates now mean that most recipients of organs or tissue can look forward to long and active lives.
myDr: How many organ transplants are performed in Australia every year?
Geoff Leeper: Based on the current rate of donation, approximately 200 transplants are performed each year.
myDr: What does the organ donation process involve?
Geoff Leeper: The process of organ donation is generally quite extensive, and may vary from state to state. It is impossible for the HIC to provide a detailed or categorical explanation of how organ donation works in Australia. However, the process generally involves a number of medical procedures and checks, and revolves around the informed consent of the donor’s family or next of kin.
myDr: What level of organ donation would you like to see in the Australian community? What is the current level?
Geoff Leeper: The optimal national donation rate is broadly accepted as being 1 per cent of deaths annually which, in 1999, should have translated into 1093 donors. However, during that period, there were only 194 donors.
However, due to the fact that organ donation represents a complex and personal decision for most people, it is impossible to specify an arbitrary proportion of the population that we’d like to see registered as intending donors. Obviously, however, the Government would like to see enough people on the Register to make it a viable and valuable source of information for medical professionals and families of potential donors.
For more information, call the Australian Organ Donor Register on 1800 777 203.
Last Reviewed: 23 January 2001
