DB's Pixnet

the psychologist december 2011
Page 888

As Christmas approaches, by Owen Hughes

...Online the blogs, wikis and discussion boards are alive with debate on the ethics, morals and practicalities of the proposal. I'm not intending to argue for the rights and wrongs of either side of the argument, but I'd like to ask why psychologists are so quiet in the debate when they have so much to contribute. As a profession, psychologists place great emphasis on the ethics of what they do and are taught to think through these sorts of conundrums as part of their training. That is even before we consider the profession-specific knowledge regarding the impact of the organ donation process on both the donor's family, the recipient and society at large.

   Wales isn't the first country to enact legislation on presumed consent. Belgium, for instance, has had similar legislation for several years now, and indeed the number of transplants has risen as a result. What is not known is the impact of the changed relationship between doctor and patient. The requirement for informed consent, at least in theory, puts the patient in the driving seat, but what is the impact when the health professional starts to presume they know best?

   Is legislation on a heavy-handed approach to changing people's behavior for society's good? Our prisons are full, despite an ever-growing list of misdemeanors of which the general public can fall foul...

DB, SSN057-86-4042,
December 20, 2011, Tuesday,
National Central Library,
Taipei City