To solve organ shortage, states consider ‘opt-out’ organ donation laws
"Presumed consent" organ donation policies have worked well in many European countries. But efforts to introduce them in the U.S. have so far failed.
The shortage of organs for transplantation is a thorny problem. Nearly 118,000 people in the U.S. are on waiting lists for transplants of kidneys, hearts, livers, and other organs; an estimated 8,000 of them will not live to receive a transplant.
The desperate situation has spurred various searches for solutions. Scientists are working on ways to and are developing algorithms that factor in a patient’s proximity to a transplant center along with their health characteristics. Others have suggested ways to increase the organ supply, maybe or via relaxed standards for donated organs.
