Can we ever solve the shortage problem? American public policy and organ, tissue, and corneal procurement from cadaver sources

The increasing demand for transplantable organs, tissues, and corneas and an insufficient source has resulted in a substantial gap between supply and demand. As a result, many health care professionals have called for changing our current volunteer procurement system. Unfortunately, most of these proposals are not informed by empirical data. This paper reports on a study which is under way that will provide empirical data on the ability of health care providers to identify eligible donors and request donation from potential donor families as well as families' willingness to donate.