Three UNOS staff members contributed to a special article appearing online in the American Journal of Transplantation, addressing implications for transplant policy and practice based on the OPTN Deceased Donor Potential Study (DDPS).
The DDPS assesses trends in medical criteria associated with potential deceased donation nationwide through the year 2020. Initial summary findings from the DDPS were shared with the national Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation in March 2015.
The study notes that donation from a broader population of potential donors, in particular individuals age 50 to 75 and those who die as a result of circulatory failure, may be required to continue to increase transplants. The authors note potential changes that may be needed in allocation policy, regulation and clinical practice to realize more donation potential.
David Klassen, M.D., UNOS’ Chief Medical Officer, was the study’s lead author. Leah Edwards, Ph.D., and Darren Stewart, M.S., both of the UNOS Research Department, were additional coauthors, along with Alexandra Glazier, J.D., M.P.H.; Jeffrey Orlowski, M.S., CPTC; and Carl Berg, M.D.
