Organ Transplants for Prison Inmates: A Pragmatic Approach

Date of Award

8-25-2014

Document Type

Undergraduate Capstone Project

Degree Name

Master of Professional Studies

Organizational Unit

University College, Healthcare Management

Disciplines

Healthcare Leadership

First Advisor

Gregory Smith

Keywords

Prison, Healthcare, Organ, Transplant, Inmate, Ethics

Abstract

Prison inmates are the only population in the United States with a Constitutional right to healthcare, but should this entitle them to receive organ transplants? Current consensus emphasizes the importance of using only medical criteria to determine a patient's transplant eligibility, avoiding consideration of incarcerated status. This project raises the question whether the conditions of confinement jeopardize an inmate's post-transplant survival benefit measure such that a patient's incarcerated status qualifies as medical criteria. The comparison between current literature and inquiry of prison health professionals reveals a significant incongruence in our understanding of this issue, a lack of concrete data to support a finding, and an indication that further research is vital to definitively answer this question.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.

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