[An ethical evaluation of presumed consent for organ donation in Switzerland]

[An ethical evaluation of presumed consent for organ donation in Switzerland]
Clavien C.
Revue médicale Suisse, 19 February 2020; 16(682) pp 370-373
Abstract
Following a current trend in European countries, Switzerland is about to decide to adopt (or reject) a presumed consent legislation for organ donation. In such a system, every citizen is considered as a potential organ donor except in case of expressed refusal during lifetime. The presumed consent system raises ethical and practical issues that need to be carefully understood and weighed before deciding on its fate. This article reviews the most pressing ethical issues and provides the empirical data necessary for assessing the presumed consent legislation in Switzerland. At the end of the analysis, the reader will be able to form her own informed opinion on the issue.

Editor’s note: This is a French language publication.