Public Policy Initiatives
 
Rapid medical and scientific advances have enabled many thousands of Americans
to receive the gift of life through transplantation, but the number of donated organs
still falls critically short of the need.  Today, nearly 60,000 people are on the national
organ transplant waiting list.   The Institute believes that there is an need to research
and address this urgent need for organ donors.  As such, the Institute has designed
a project to investigate and remove barriers to consent.  The overall goal of the
project is to help identify highly promising strategies and approaches that can serve
as model interventions for increasing organ and tissue donation.  This initiative will
also serve to frame a public education agenda on the medical, ethical, and social
issues related to organ transplantation.