Publications
Publications
- August 2012
- American Economic Review
Organ Allocation Policy and the Decision to Donate
By: Judd B. Kessler and Alvin E. Roth
Abstract
Organ donations from deceased donors (cadavers) provide the majority of transplanted organs in the United States, and one deceased donor can save numerous lives by providing multiple organs. Nevertheless, most Americans are not registered organ donors despite the relative ease of becoming one. We study in the laboratory an experimental game modeled on the decision to register as an organ donor and investigate how changes in the management of the organ waiting list might impact the donation rate. We find that an organ allocation policy giving priority on waiting lists to those who previously registered as donors has a significant positive impact on registration.
Keywords
Organ Donation; Health; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Decision Making; Resource Allocation; Mathematical Methods; United States
Citation
Kessler, Judd B., and Alvin E. Roth. "Organ Allocation Policy and the Decision to Donate." American Economic Review 102, no. 5 (August 2012): 2018–2047.