Deceased organ and tissue donation after medical assistance in dying and other conscious and competent donors

Journal publication

• Downar J, Shemie SD, Gillrie C, Fortin M.-C, Appleby A, Buchman DZ, Shoesmith C, Goldberg A, Gruben V. Lalani J, Ysebaert D, Wilson L, Sharpe MD for Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Critical Care Society, the Canadian Society of Transplantation and the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses. Deceased organ and tissue donation after medical assistance in dying and other conscious and competent donors: guidance for policy CMAJ 2019 June 3;191:E604-13. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.181648

Editorial 

• Commentary (CMAJ): http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190352
  
  Johannes Mulder MD. Facilitating the wishes of patients who choose both MAiD and organ donation. CMAJ 2019 June 3;191:E595-6. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.190352

Film 

Her Last Project - A film by Rosvita Dransfeld - tells the story of Dr. Shelly Sarwal's medical journey through MAID and organ donation. Learn more

Podcast

• CMAJ podcasts: Organ Donation After MAID: https://soundcloud.com/cmajpodcasts/181648-guide
  In this interview, Dr. James Downar (co-author of policy guidance) and Dr. Jennifer Hancock (an intensive care physician in Halifax) take listeners through considerations of having a patient who requests medical assistance in dying (MAiD) or withdrawal of life-sustaining measures (WLSM) and who also requests to have his or her organs donated.

Report and recommendations 

• Deceased organ and tissue donation after medical assistance in dying and other conscious and competent donors: guidance for policy 
• Don d’organes et de tissus après décès dans le cas de l’aide médicale à mourir et des patients conscients et aptes – document d’orientation

Note: This report and the published manuscript have been endorsed by the Canadian Critical Care Society, the Canadian Society of Transplantation, and the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses.