The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 2000
Multicenter StudyLung allocation in the United States, 1995-1997: an analysis of equity and utility.
Waiting time for organ transplantation varies widely between programs of different sizes and by geographic regions. The purpose of this study was to determine if the current lung-allocation policy is equitable for candidates waiting at various-sized centers, and to model how national allocation based solely on waiting time might affect patients and programs. ⋯ 1) Waiting list mortality rates are not higher at large lung-transplant programs with long average waiting times. 2) A lung-allocation algorithm based primarily on waiting-list seniority would probably disadvantage candidates at medium-size centers without improving overall lung-transplant outcomes. 3) If fairness is measured by equal distribution of opportunity and risk, we conclude that the current allocation system is relatively equitable for patients currently entering the lung-transplant system.