Organ donation is giving an organ to someone else who needs a transplant. In many cases when we talk about organ donation in public discourse, what is meant is post-mortal donations or organs and bodily tissue.
To become an organ donor in Germany, you need to actively declare your agreement, for instance by filling out an organ donor card. While this seems like a very easy and quick thing to do, thousands of patients in Germany die because not enough people have declared their willingness to donate organs and tissue. The German minister of health, Jens Spahn, just recently announced that he intends to change this situation, proposing a so-called opt-out solution. But what is the public opinion on this issue? And what does this opt-out solution even mean? Despite continuing efforts at public education, misconceptions and inaccuracies about donation persist. So are we even ready to have an informed discussion about organ donation?
To address these and many other pressing issues, I was invited to appear at the German popular-scientific tv show Quarks and WDR. I had a lot of fun running experimental studies, interviewing people, and giving expert interviews.
The show will be broadcasted in February. I’ll keep you posted!