Georg Marckmann - Böcker

This book analyzes the reasons for organ shortage and ventures innovative ideas for approaching this problem. It presents 29 contributions from a highly interdisciplinary group of world experts and upcoming professionals in the field. Every year thousands of patients die while waiting for organ transplantation. Health authorities, medical professionals and bioethicists worldwide point to the urgent and yet unsolved problem of organ shortage, which will be even intensified due to the increasing life expectancy. Even though the practical problem seems to be well known, the search for suitable solutions continues and often restricts itself by being limited through disciplinary and national borders. Combining philosophical reflection with empirical results, this volume enables a unique insight in the ethics of organ transplantation and offers fresh ideas for policymakers, health care professionals, academics and the general public.

This book analyzes the reasons for organ shortage and ventures innovative ideas for approaching this problem.

Ethical issues associated with public health and health policy--related, for example,  to pandemic plans and vaccination policies (c.f. SARS or pandemic influenza), preventive measures like screening (e.g. for breast cancer or dementia) or health information campaigns, social inequalities or health care rationing--are increasing in worldwide importance. Evidence-based information for valid benefit-harm assessment is often rare and hard to get for participants in public health interventions. Program implementation often disregards requirements of fair decision-making processes (like public participation, transparency, etc.). Originating from an international conference (based on a call for abstracts and external review), this volume contains contributions from a group of experts from multiple disciplines and countries.  It covers (i) conceptual foundations of public health ethics, (ii) methodological approaches and (iii) normative analyses of specific issues and cases. Bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications, this volume provides a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and students concerned with public health practice and policy.