Which statement best captures the ethical tension of presumed consent?

• A. It guarantees more organs but undermines justice.
• B. It completely eliminates autonomy.
• C. It ensures perfect trust between patients and doctors.
• D. It pits public health goals against respect for individual autonomy and familial trust.

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested is how presumed consent creates a clash between pursuing a larger organ donor pool for the benefit of public health and honoring individuals’ own choices as well as their families’ role in decision-making. In presumed-consent systems, people are regarded as donors unless they opt out, which can increase transplants and save lives, but it also risks acting against someone’s actual preferences and can complicate how families are involved at the time of death. So the ethical tension is about balancing the public good with respect for autonomy and the trust families place in the medical system. This is why the statement that best captures the tension says it pits public health goals against respect for individual autonomy and familial trust. The other statements misstate the issue: they either imply guaranteed outcomes or render autonomy or trust nonexistent, which doesn’t reflect the real ethical debate.