Organ substitution technology : ethical, legal, and public policy issues /

The technology associated with organ transplantation and artificial organ implantation have provided modern medicine with significant medical intervention possibilities as well as social, economic, and ethical problems. The selection of patients who pay for the services, the problems related to prolonging the lives of recipients, and the benefits to society are all issues that need debate, reflection, and research to help society formulate policy in this area of health care. Leading scholars from medicine, law, philosophy, economics, and political science consider these concerns as well as a range of ethical, economic, and community issues from the perspective of their specialties. The editor's introduction provides scientific and historical perspective on the subjects and presents conceptual models from which to discuss the policy issues. Mathieu (political science and philosophy, University of Arizona, Tucson) has published on medical ethics and health policy. Appropriate for advanced students, professionals, and highly informed general readers. -R. L. Jones, Pennsylvania State University, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

$55. med Organ donation, distribution, and transplantation (generically, organ substitution) is central to the debate on allocation of scarce resourcesthe preeminent issue in biomedical ethics. Mathieu (philosophy, University of Arizona) has succeeded ably in designing a reference tool indispensable in any discussion of organ transplantation. In 21 chapters introduced with precision and clarity by Mathieu, experts like Arthur Caplan, George Annas, H. Tristram Engelhardt, and Daniel Brock offer in-depth analysis of the issues. Of particular importance is the long section on artificial heart implantation, a crucial case study in the complexity of resource allocation. Detailed appendixes, charts, and a thorough bibliography make this a noteworthy addition to the literature. Recommended for libraries in ethics and medicine.Rev. David A. Buehler, Charlton Memorial Hospital, Fall River, Mass. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.