Trust and trustworthiness in organ transplantation: Good samaritan and emotionally related living donors

Organ transplantation, and living donor organ transplantation in particular, could not occur without society's trust in medicine and in transplant programs. This paper explains the importance of that trust and shows how the concept can be used to define the moral requirements for structuring organ transplant programs. The discussion goes on to outline what a trustworthy program must be, and to provide a conceptual perspective for drawing lines and setting boundaries for ethically acceptable living donor transplantation. It also explains the morally relevant considerations for accepting emotionally related or unrelated living donors.