Perception of the Liver Allocation System by Different Stakeholders

Abstract

The German Transplant Law is the legal basis of the liver allocation system in Germany and is specified by the guidelines of the German Medical Association. These guidelines are based on current medical knowledge. The procedure of developing these guidelines was formalised and made transparent.This survey with 502 participants examines how four current aspects of the allocation system are perceived by different stakeholders (medical staff, patients on the liver transplant list or already transplanted, medical students and non-medical university personnel and students). A great majority of respondents considered the current organ allocation system to be fair. Physicians were given a great say on allocation rules. Most respondents assessed the chances of a patient on the transplant list to receive a donor organ over time as being worse than it really was. The respondents supported six month alcohol abstinence before patients with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis are listed for liver transplantation. The findings suggest that people trust that physicians develop fair allocation rules and appreciate the current liver allocation system.