Mitch Keamy is an anesthesiologist in Las Vegas Nevada
Andy Kofke is a Professor of Neuro-anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennslvania
Mike O'Connor is Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Chicago
Rob Dean is a cardiac anesthesiologist in Grand Rapids Michigan, with extensive experience in O.R. administration.
First, it seems that presumed consent is going live on the other side of the pond.
The language in the body of this BBC item is more moderate than the headline and lead:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-15625285
It will be interesting to see how this plays out over time. Will the language of the final legislation reflect the intent of its authors? Will the details of implementation increase the supply of organs without impinging on the rights of individuals and their families?
Meanwhile, the NHS continues to struggle with its system-wide electronic medical record:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/22/nhs-it-project-abandoned
As with all news items about this topic, it is hard to know what actually has happened or will happen. It is also impossible to divine exactly what the cause or causes of this problem are or might be. Previous news items have alleged poor management on the NHS side. If the NHS is anything like the DoD, it is quite plausible that the government struggles to marshal the resources necessary to manage an undertaking of this scale. Also like the DoD, it is almost inevitable that there has been specification creep over the lifetime of the project, and that the program now envisioned is far more extensive in its intended scope than the original concept. Regardless, any official recommendation to terminate a program after such a massive investment is a serious blow, even if not a fatal one. Sadly, we are unlikely to learn anything from the NHS experience; finger pointing and politics make truth and learning the first casualty of these kinds of failures.
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