An Analysis of Organ Donation Policy in the United States

摘要

There is currently an organ shortage crisis in the United States. This paper analyzes the magnitude of the prob- lem, the organ procurement programs in other devel- oped countries as compared to the US, and discusses the changes that can be made to address this problem. With the opt-in or explicit-consent method currently practiced in the US, less that one third of the population consents to organ donation. In order to narrow the gap between the demand and supply of organs, steps need to be tak- en to improve the organ procurement infrastructure. The public needs to be educated about the dire need, the ben- efits and risks in organ donation, and living vs. deceased donation.