More than 113,000 people are currently on the organ transplant waiting list in the United States and the donation and transplantation community works every day to help save and improve their lives. Narrowing the gap between available organs and those in need of a lifesaving transplant is a complex problem that deserves attention. The following information provides important context for discussion of how we can improve the U.S. system for organ donation and transplantation and save more lives.

Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) look at different organ donation and transplantation policies in European countries and ask the question: Would the United States benefit from adopting similar policies?