In the United States, there are 92,000 people on the waiting list to receive a kidney transplant. Anyone who needs an organ transplant of any type faces steep odds of receiving the help they need in time, but those who require kidney transplants are particularly affected.
The country’s kidney shortage means that many people living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are not able to receive the organ that would allow them to live decades longer. To address this problem, decision-makers are looking at compensating kidney donors. But what would this mean for donors and for the recipients of their organs?
People who live with ESRD have kidneys that no longer function as the body needs them to. They can’t filter waste or excess fluids, leading to the buildup of dangerous levels of electrolytes, fluids, and waste products. The only two options for ESRD are to receive dialysis or to get an organ transplant.
During dialysis, a patient is connected to a machine that filters their blood, much like a well-functioning kidney would. Dialysis is an effective option for those waiting to receive a transplant. However, it is not always a viable long-term treatment, and each session takes hours, affecting the patient’s quality of life.
The most sustainable treatment is a kidney transplant. The problem is that kidney donors are few. While some patients receive organs from deceased donors, not many of these are available.
Living donors are another solution, but people have few incentives to go through the process of donating an organ. That is where compensating kidney donors would be a game changer.
The National Organ Transplant Act prohibited the sale of organs for substantial amounts of money. This act allowed low-income and government employee donors to receive very small amounts of compensation that hardly covered their travel costs, but it did not address the lost wages and other expenses they may have accrued.
Understandably, the lack of incentives, the potential financial losses donors sustain, and the health risks associated with donating an organ make the process less than enticing for most people. The kidney shortage is prompting a desire to change the regulations regarding compensation.
There are two ways that legislative changes could help solve the shortage. The first is to compensate kidney donors for the financial losses they suffer if they undergo the procedure. This might include travel and lodging expenses as well as lost income and the costs of hiring help for dependents during recovery.
Some reforms allowing for this type of compensation have already been carried out. New York, for example, has passed a law that reimburses living kidney and organ donors for donation-related expenses.
Another potential option is for the government to offer more than just reimbursement; it could provide financial consideration for donors in a large enough amount that ending the shortage would be within reach.
Offering compensation for kidney donations could save the lives of tens of thousands of people. To accomplish this ethically, however, states would have to pass new laws that fully address concerns about the potential for abuse.
Decision-makers must combat misinformation on the donation process, candidate selection, and other factors. They must have open conversations about what compensating kidney donors would look like and what benefits it would offer to everyone involved.
Clinical research can also help transform the organ donation system. Researchers have already been instrumental in making organ transplants the treatment of choice for end-stage organ diseases, but their work has generally focused on the transplantation process, not on increases in the quality and quantity of transplantable organs.
With further clinical research into living donor transplants, scientists can assuage the public’s worries about transplants while improving the number of viable organs available to patients.
At Orlando Clinical Research Center, we’re dedicated to helping scientists and pharmaceutical companies test innovative procedures and medications that could transform the landscape of medicine and organ donations. Our state-of-the-art research facilities are designed to allow participants the opportunity to comfortably and safely participate in phase I-IV clinical trials.
Contact us today to explore our current studies and discover how you can contribute to advancing medical research.