Nurse knowledge and attitudes towards organ donation and deemed consent: the Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act in Nova Scotia
Reports of Original Investigations
Robin Urquhart, Nelofar Kureshi, Jade Dirk, Matthew Weiss, Stephen Beed
Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, 1 December 2022
Abstract
Purpose
In April 2019, the Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act (HOTDA) in Nova Scotia was modified to incorporate a deemed consent model. In this study, we sought to understand intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) nurses’ knowledge of and confidence around organ donation and transplantation, experiences with organ donors and recipients, attitudes toward organ donation and deemed consent, and perceived opportunities and barriers to a deemed consent approach in view of the legislative change.
Methods
We sent an electronic, self-administered survey to all ICU and ED nurses in Nova Scotia. The survey queried respondents on their knowledge of, experience with, and attitudes around organ donation and HOTDA, and opportunities and barriers to the implementation of HOTDA in clinical practice. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results
One-hundred and ninety-four nurses responded to the survey. Nearly all (98%) supported organ donation, with 86% having signed an organ donor card to donate organs and/or tissues after death. A considerable majority (89%) also supported the new legislation. Nevertheless, a minority of respondents (13%) believed that deemed consent legislation would be considered a violation of the general principles of freedom and autonomy. The three most identified topics for ongoing training were coordination of the donation process (70%), clinical management of donors (70%), and family issues in decision-making (70%).
Conclusion
Intensive care unit and ED nurses had positive attitudes toward organ donation, including deemed consent model. The findings should inform educational initiatives in Nova Scotia and beyond to optimize organ donation processes and outcomes.

Estimated Impact of Deemed Consent Legislation for Organ Donation on Individuals With Kidney Failure: A Dynamic Decision Analytic Model
Koto P., Vinson A. J., Kiberd B. A., Beed S., Krmpotic K., Dirk J., Weiss M. J., Karthik K. Tennankore
Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease, 25 November 2022
Abstract
Background
There is little data modeling the impact of deemed consent legislation (eligible individuals who do not register their decision to decline to be a donor are presumed to consent after death) on outcomes for individuals with kidney failure.
Objective
To estimate the change in life-years (LYs) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) resulting from different changes in the rate of deceased donor kidney transplantation associated with deemed consent legislation and health system transformation.
Design
Dynamic Decision Analytic Model.
Setting
This modeling study included kidney failure patients in Atlantic Canada (all of whom receive their kidney transplants in Halifax, Nova Scotia). The adoption of deemed consent legislation was the intervention, and opt-in (the status quo) was the reference comparator.
Patients
Prevalent kidney failure patients at the end of 2019 in all of Atlantic Canada (N = 3615) served as the starting population.
Methods
We compared expected outcomes between the intervention and comparator. Changes in QALYs and total LYs were modeled under different changes to the proportion of patients receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant (from –10% to 20%) resulting from deemed consent relative to the status quo. Changes in QALYs and LYs were reported for 3 different time horizons (5, 10, and 30 years). Uncertainty around QALYs and total LYs was reported using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) constructed from a probabilistic sensitivity analysis using 1000 Monte Carlo Simulations.
Results
The increase in QALYs ranged from 7 QALYs (95% CI: 5-10) with a 5% increase using a 5-year time frame to 882 QALYs (95% CI: 619-1144) with a 20% increase over a 30-year time frame. Parallel changes in total LYs were also observed. In contrast, decreases in deceased donor kidney transplantation resulted in a loss of QALYs (for example, –463 QALYs; 95% CI: –633 to –306 for a 10% decrease over a 30-year time frame). Using the most optimistic scenario (a 20% increase), there was an 18% increase in the cumulative number of deceased donor kidney transplant recipients over a 30-year observation period.
Limitations
The results are subject to uncertainty depending on changes to the dialysis or transplant population that were not modeled and that may not be fully captured with probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Deemed consent legislation will lead to variable changes in QALYs and total LYs for the kidney failure population, depending on the degree to which deceased donor transplantation rates change and the time horizon of observation. This modeling study may serve as a baseline to monitor the future impact of deemed consent legislation.

Assent, parental consent and reconsent for health research in Africa: thematic analysis of national guidelines and lessons from the SickleInAfrica registry
Research
Nchangwi Syntia Munung, Victoria Nembaware, Lawrence Osei-Tutu, Marsha Treadwell, Okocha Emmanuel Chide, Daima Bukini, Hilda Tutuba, SickleInAfrica ELSI WG, Ambroise Wonkam
BMC Medical Ethics volume, 8 December 2022; 23(130)
Open Access
Abstract
The enrolment of children and adolescents in health research requires that attention to be paid to specific assent and consent requirements such as the age range for seeking assent; conditions for parental consent (and waivers); the age group required to provide written assent; content of assent forms; if separate assent and parental consent forms should be used, consent from emancipated young adults; reconsent at the age of adulthood when a waiver of assent requirements may be appropriate and the conditions for waiving assent requirements. There is however very little available information for researchers and ethics committees on how to navigate these different issues. To provide guidance to research initiatives, the SickleInAfrica consortium conducted a thematic analysis of a sample of research ethics guidelines and procedures in African countries, to identify guidance for assent requirements in health research. The thematic analysis revealed that 12 of 24 African countries specified the age group for which assent is required. The minimum age for written assent varied across the countries. Five countries, Algeria, Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria and The Democratic Republic of Congo require consent from both parents/family council in certain circumstances. Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda have specific assent/consent requirements for research with emancipated minors. South Africa and Algeria requires re-consent at onset of adulthood. Five countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania) specified conditions for waiving assent requirements. The CIOMS and the ICH-GCP guidelines had the most comprehensive information on assent requirements compared to other international guidelines. An interactive map with assent requirements for different African countries is provided. The results show a major gap in national regulations for the inclusion of minors in health research. The SickleInAfrica experience in setting up a multi-country SCD registry in Africa highlights the need for developing and harmonising national and international guidelines on assent and consent requirements for research involving minors. Harmonisation of assent requirements will help facilitate collaborative research across countries.

Guardians and research staff experiences and views about the consent process in hospital-based paediatric research studies in urban Malawi: A qualitative study
Research Article
Mtisunge Joshua Gondwe, Neema Mtunthama Toto, Charity Gunda, Markus Gmeiner, Ian J. C. MacCormick, David Lalloo, Michael Parker, Nicola Desmond
BMC Medical Ethics, 5 December 2022; 23(125)
Open Access
Abstract
Background
Obtaining consent has become a standard way of respecting the patient’s rights and autonomy in clinical research. Ethical guidelines recommend that the child’s parent/s or authorised legal guardian provides informed consent for their child’s participation. However, obtaining informed consent in paediatric research is challenging. Parents become vulnerable because of stress related to their child’s illness. Understanding the views held by guardians and researchers about the consent process in Malawi, where there are limitations in health care access and research literacy will assist in developing appropriate consent guidelines.
Methods
We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with guardians of children and research staff who had participated in paediatric clinical trial and observational studies in acute and non-acute settings in the Southern Region of Malawi. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Interviews were compared across studies and settings to identify differences and similarities in participants’ views about informed consent processes. Data analysis was facilitated by NVIVO 11 software.
Results
All participants across study types and settings reported that they associated participating in research with therapeutic benefits. Substantial differences were noted in the decision-making process across study settings. Guardians from acute studies felt that the role of their spouses was neglected during consenting, while staff reported that they had problems obtaining consent from guardians when their partners were not present. Across all study types and settings, research staff reported that they emphasised the benefits more than the risks of the study to participants, due to pressure to recruit. Participants from non-acute settings were more likely to recall information shared during the consent process than participants in the acute setting.
Conclusion
The health care context, culture and research process influenced participants’ understanding of study information across study types and settings. We advise research managers or principal investigators to define minimum requirements that would not compromise the consent process and conduct study specific training for staff. The use of one size fits all consent process may not be ideal. More guidance is needed on how these differences can be incorporated during the consent process to improve understanding and delivery of consent.

Informed Consent Implementation at Leona Hospital in Kupang City
Debi F. Ng. Fallo, Heryanto Amalo
South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, August 2022; 27(1)
Abstract
Informed Consent is a patient’s approval on medical action that will be performed on one after one has received a complete explanation of it. It is done to protect patients against all medical actions that are carried out without the patient’s knowledge and at the same time provide legal protection to doctor against unexpected negative consequences, for example against the risk of inevitable treatment even though the doctor has tried his/her best and acted circumspect. Therefore, the principle of informed consent doctrine is a patient’s autonomy right to himself to decide what is desired in the matter of treatment. It is an empirical legal research or non-doctrinal legal research. The data required is primary data obtained directly from respondents/informants, and secondary data obtained from the literature with data collection techniques are in the form of observations, interviews, document studies and group discussions. This study resulted in information regarding informed consent implementation at the Leona Hospital, Kupang City, and the obstacles faced in the informed consent implementation in the form of patient/patient’s family being heterogeneous groups patient’s perceptions of her/his illness, doctors’ explanations contain medical technical terms, and the limited time. This study suggests that doctors are still obliged to provide information to patients either orally or in writing form and that doctors need to improve their communication skills with patients from different backgrounds so that the goal of delivering information to patients is achieved.