Australian Organ Donor Register
Encyclopedia
The Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) is an Australian government
register, recording individuals who have agreed to donate
organs
and tissues
in the event of their death. The register is administered by Medicare Australia
.
for legal purposes. Authorized medical personnel may access the register to see what an individual chose, but the family is also consulted. The AODR has no part in the actual transplant process, nor does it maintain lists of prospective recipients.
The deceased's family is also told what the register says and they're asked if he or she had changed their mind, or if the family has sincerely held objections to donation. Potential donors are encouraged to discuss their decision with their family to ensure their wishes are known to them.
An individual may consent to the use of all organs and tissues, or just some (if someone has strong views about particular body parts for instance). The consent is entirely voluntary and may be changed or withdrawn at any time. The register is only for organ donation
, it doesn't cover other uses for organs such as scientific research.
An individual must be 18 years or older to give their consent, but 16 and 17 year olds may record an intention to donate. When only an intention is recorded the family will be asked to give consent in the event of death.
From 1 July 2005 the AODR has allowed a legal consent
to be recorded. Existing registered donors (whether from their driver's licence or separately) were asked to re-register when this was introduced, giving consent rather than just indicating an intention.
Driver's licences now no longer include an organ donation question, instead the licensing authorities offer the AODR forms when a license is issued or renewed.
In February 2006 an organ register section was added to the Medicare
rebate claim form and the organ donation campaign extended to Centrelink
offices. About 5 million people had registered at that time and the hope was that it could be further increased.
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
register, recording individuals who have agreed to donate
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
organs
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
and tissues
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
in the event of their death. The register is administered by Medicare Australia
Medicare Australia
Medicare Australia is an agency of the Australian Government that administers health-related programs including Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme , and others. It is a prescribed agency under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and a statutory agency within the...
.
Operation
The register is a record of consentConsent
Consent refers to the provision of approval or agreement, particularly and especially after thoughtful consideration.- Types of consent :*Implied consent is a controversial form of consent which is not expressly granted by a person, but rather inferred from a person's actions and the facts and...
for legal purposes. Authorized medical personnel may access the register to see what an individual chose, but the family is also consulted. The AODR has no part in the actual transplant process, nor does it maintain lists of prospective recipients.
The deceased's family is also told what the register says and they're asked if he or she had changed their mind, or if the family has sincerely held objections to donation. Potential donors are encouraged to discuss their decision with their family to ensure their wishes are known to them.
An individual may consent to the use of all organs and tissues, or just some (if someone has strong views about particular body parts for instance). The consent is entirely voluntary and may be changed or withdrawn at any time. The register is only for organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
, it doesn't cover other uses for organs such as scientific research.
An individual must be 18 years or older to give their consent, but 16 and 17 year olds may record an intention to donate. When only an intention is recorded the family will be asked to give consent in the event of death.
History
The AODR established in 2000 as a record of intentions, using data from state-based driver's licences. Driver's licences had for many years included a box to tick for those who intended to donate their organs. Since this was only an intention it was the deceased's family who were required to give consent.From 1 July 2005 the AODR has allowed a legal consent
Consent
Consent refers to the provision of approval or agreement, particularly and especially after thoughtful consideration.- Types of consent :*Implied consent is a controversial form of consent which is not expressly granted by a person, but rather inferred from a person's actions and the facts and...
to be recorded. Existing registered donors (whether from their driver's licence or separately) were asked to re-register when this was introduced, giving consent rather than just indicating an intention.
Driver's licences now no longer include an organ donation question, instead the licensing authorities offer the AODR forms when a license is issued or renewed.
In February 2006 an organ register section was added to the Medicare
Medicare (Australia)
Medicare is Australia's publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all resident citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island...
rebate claim form and the organ donation campaign extended to Centrelink
Centrelink
Centrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency , a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments...
offices. About 5 million people had registered at that time and the hope was that it could be further increased.
External links
- Organ Donor (non-profit)
- Australians Donate web site (non-profit government funded umbrella body for transplantations in Australia)