The Organ Shortage Crisis in the United States Research Paper

This paper explores and analyzes the field of organ donation, opening with the statement that everyone has the ability to save or improve the quality of life for up to 50 people. The paper launches into a brief history and background of organ transplants, including the first successful organ transplants. The paper explains that the organ shortage has been a growing crisis in the US for decades, and the amount of people who are fighting for their lives while waiting on an organ to become available has greatly increased. To address the shortage, the paper suggests creating more educational programs that highlight the seriousness of the organ shortage crisis; encouraging individuals to register as organ donors; and increasing public exposure to the facts of organ donation. The paper also opines that the government should pass a presumed consent law, stating that other medically advanced countries have switched to presumed consent and it has proven to be highly effective in saving lives. The paper notes that economic research shows donor participation and registration would increase significantly if monetary incentives were given to donors. Finally, the paper concludes that the important issue at hand should not be ethics or others' feelings, but rather the lives of the people who are affected by this crisis.