Professional and Public Attitudes Toward Incentives for Organ Donation

The U.S. faces a widening gap between the need for, and the supply of, transplantable organs. The waiting list for transplants increased 150% in the past decade; last year, about 6,000 people died awaiting a transplant. This need has rekindled debate about the morality and feasibility of using incentives to encourage posthumous organ donation. This Issue Brief explores attitudes of the public and health professionals in the transplant community about using financial and nonfinancial incentives to increase the supply of cadaver organs for transplant.