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Paper Presentation

Law, Public Health Policy, Organizational Ethics

Session: NRP

Ethical Controversies on Normothermic Regional Perfusion: New Data on the Public’s Perceptions

Friday, October 24, 2025
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Pacific Time
Location: C123
Jill Robinson – Baylor College of Medicine; Tariq Nisar – Houston Methodist Research Institute; Adam Omelianchuk – Baylor College of Medicine; Savitri Fedson – Baylor College of Medicine; Ariel Levchenko – The International Research and Exchanges Board; Amy McGuire – Baylor College of Medicine
Abstract: Thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) remains an ethically contentious technique for organ procurement after circulatory death. This study explores public attitudes toward TA-NRP using a cross-sectional online survey of 975 participants, recruited via Prolific. Respondents first received a neutral description of TA-NRP. A slight majority (51.5%) supported the use of TA-NRP, 14.4% opposed it, and 34.2% were unsure. Participants evaluated five randomized arguments each from Critics and Supporters and then answered a forced-choice question to indicate which group’s argument they agreed with most. The majority (60.6%) agreed with the arguments of Supporters while 39.4% sided with Critics. Notably, among those initially unsure, 62.8% were persuaded by the arguments of the Critics.

A multivariable logistic regression model identified predictors of agreement with Critics. Key findings include that non-registered organ donors were 60% more likely to agree with Critics (aOR 1.6), and participants with higher trust in physicians were 24% less likely to agree with Critics (aOR 0.76). Regarding demographics, females were 47% less likely (aOR 0.53) to agree with Critics, while African Americans more than twice as likely (aOR 2.06) to agree with Critics. Those initially unsure were 14.53 times more likely to agree with the Critics (aOR 14.53). Interestingly, being (or having been) a healthcare professional was not a significant predictor of agreement or disagreement.

In this paper, we will report our findings with the goal of offering novel, ethics-focused data to help inform transplant and bioethics programs interested in the perspectives of the American public.

Keywords: public opinion on technology, normothermic regional perfusion, public policy

Learning Objectives:

After participating in this conference, attendees should be able to:
  • describe the overall public attitudes toward thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP), including initial perceptions of permissibility and subsequent shifts following exposure to normative arguments
  • identify key predictors (e.g., organ donor status, trust in physicians, and race) that influence whether participants agree with the arguments of Critics or Supporters of TA-NRP
  • incorporate empirical evidence about public attitudes on TA-NRP into ethical deliberation and policy development for transplant programs and hospital committees who are considering its use