Jonathan Cannon Installment 2

           In my previous post, I stated that I am in favor of organ transplant research and that I personally believe that studies that are done in organ transplant research should not be considered human subject research. In response to the presentation, other students were supportive of transplant research with some constraints. Concern was directed to the efficacy of the studies being done and experimentation should only be performed when there is a reasonably high probability of success. This was mostly due to the fact that there is such a high demand for organs and it would be too much of a risk if there was a chance for adverse effects that could result in damage to the organ making it unsuitable for a transplant.
            In the article posted be Zach Nix for his first installment on human exportation the author states, “Even in cases of studying particular conditions, such as childhood diseases, research is usually only seen as ethically justified if it imposes no real risk of harm or is likely to have some direct therapeutic benefit.” I thought this was particularly applicable to the subject of organ transplant research because organ donors could be considered unable to protect their interest. It is important to remember that these studies are not entirely left to the discretion of the physician leading the project. The research still has to be approved by an IRB before the study can even begin. If the IRB is able to determine that there is no real risk to either the donor or the recipient of the transplant than there should not be an ethical issue with the research.
            I believe that the social taboo of this kind of research lies in the public’s perception of medical experimentation. There is the perception that when studies are not considered human subject research, the members participating in the studies no longer have an advocate to protect their best interests, leaving them exposed to the ambition of the physician leading the research.
           The first step that could be taken to remedy this would be educating people on the process that and circumstances that are required to get approval by an IRB.
Another aspect that is not fully understood by many people is what exactly is at stake for the people that are on the organ transplant list. Even individual is fortunate enough to receive an organ transplant, they are not out of the woods yet. The success rate is only between 80-90% with some procedures having more risk associated with them than others. Research that is done for the preservation of the during the transplant process is one way that the success rate for transplant recipients can be increased.
            For the majority of us in this class, our intended profession will require us to educate people. Transparency goes a long way and all of us should be able to explain how research is done and the safeguards and oversight that individuals leading studies must adhere to. It is normal for people to oppose something they don’t understand and that is not necessarily a negative thing. If the general public had a better understanding of things like the function of an IRB this would go a long way in changing public opinion and provide more open-mindedness to organ transplant research.







I commented on both Joseph's and Clorissa's posts