NEWSWEEK – Thousands of Americans have removed themselves from organ donor registries following “irresponsible reporting” led by the New York Times, officials said.
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, a trade group that represents 46 of the nation’s 55 federally designated nonprofit entities that help facilitate donations, accused the newspaper of a “lack of balance and accuracy” in its recent coverage of the problems in the sprawling transplant system.
The letter, sent to three Times editors on Tuesday, cited two articles from July 20, including “A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk,” in which reporters Brian M. Rosenthal and Julie Tate detailed rushed or premature attempts to retrieve organs from patients who were, in some cases, still showing signs of life.
A third recent Times item, an op-ed written by three cardiologists in which they argue for a “new definition of death” to help alleviate the backlog of recipients in need of transplants, was not included in the letter.
The essay has gone viral on X, with many users commenting it has made them rethink or actively change their status as organ donors.
Organ Procurement and Transplantation
AOPO’s letter reads:
“The patient safety incidents cited in the Rosenthal and Tate article are very concerning.
“The integrity of the organ donation and transplantation system depends on strict adherence to clinical policies and safeguards designed to protect patients. Any situation that calls this into question deserves thorough review, accountability, and continuous efforts to strengthen the system.”
The letter obtained by Newsweek also referenced a Times article by Trinity Webster-Bass on what being an organ donor means for more than 173 million Americans in state and national registries, including many whom are “unsure” about the specifics.
“These stories have directly led to the biggest increase in people removing themselves from donor registries ever recorded, putting patients waiting for transplants at greater risk,” AOPO’s letter continued …
