The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network will implement policy changes to kidney and pancreas allocation Dec. 15, 2020. The changes include the removal of donation service area (DSA) and OPTN region from allocation. Instead of using these inconsistent boundaries as units of distribution, kidneys and pancreata will now be allocated using a 250 nautical mile circle around the donor’s hospital. Statistical simulation modeling projects that the new kidney and pancreas policies will improve transplant access for key groups of transplant candidates, including children, women, ethnic minorities and candidates who are particularly hard to match for biological reasons.
The OPTN Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Committees will host a webinar on Monday, Nov. 23 from 1 to 2 p.m. EST to describe, for transplant patients and their caregivers, the upcoming policy changes. You may register for the webinar here.
The presenters will address participant questions as time permits. The webinar will also be recorded and made available for later viewing.
United Network for Organ Sharing is focused on ensuring fairness and equity in access to transplant for all patients. Read more about the upcoming changes on the kidney-pancreas policy page.
