Evaluation of the information provided in web sites of organ transplantation centers in Turkey from the perspective of medical ethics: A qualitative study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned as a qualitative one that aimed to evaluate the information on the web sites of Turkey’s organ transplantation centers from the perspective of medical ethics. METHODS: The name of organ transplantation centers listed in the relevant directive issued by the Ministry of Health and the terms “organ transplantation center(s)” were used with the Google internet search engine. The information presented in the web sites accessed was evaluated with regard to medical ethics. At the end of the evaluation process performed independently by two different medical ethicists, the results were compared and the 12 sites considered to contain ethically problematic statements according to both of the researchers were detected. Of these 12 sites, only one was a public center, while the rest were institutions in the private sector. RESULTS: A total of 12 web sites were found to include ethically problematic statements which were classified under 4 different titles consisting of “Claims used by the centers to promote themselves”, “claims used by the centers to promote their health care professionals”, “claims regarding the laparoscopic method” and “claims regarding life with one kidney”. Statements in the sites were observed to have been aimed for advertising rather than informing, whereas the ethically and legally sensitive aspects of the process and particularly of living organ donation seemed to have been neglected. Statements containing one-sided, selective or incomplete information and claims written to promote the interest of the centers and incentivize living organ donation were detected. CONCLUSION: The informational content of the web sites of organ transplantation centers must be audited and private sector institutions should be prioritized in the process. It has also been concluded that efforts to increase the knowledge and sensitivity of the administrators and health care professionals of organ transplantation centers with regard to the ethical and legal aspects of the issue, and particularly of living organ donation, can make a positive contribution to this issue.