The Shortage in Market‐Inalienable Human Organs: A Consideration of “Nonmarket” Failures

Abstract

It is widely believed that if only we allowed a market in organs, supply would increase and shortages would disappear. However, there is considerable evidence that we have not wrung all the supply we can out of the donative system. This essay argues that shortages in organs are due to inadequate procurement effort rather than the inefficiency of appeals to donor altruism. The insufficiency of effort is ascribed to (1) ignorance of the regulatory authorities and the participants with respect to the nature of the production system in which they are engaged, (2) problems inherent in a production system that relies on exhorting donors, and (3) the wellknown limitations of the nonprofit organizations that are the key actors in this production system.

Valuing human organs: an application of contingent valuation

“…Market-based solutions have been explored by Schwindt and Vining (1986), Hansman (1989), Kaserman and Barnett (1991), Peters (1991), Adams et al (1999) and Barnett et al (2001). In contrast, Thorne (1996Thorne ( , 1998 and Morgan and Miller (2001) argue that improved methods of exhortation are sufficient to solve the shortage problem. We use a survey similar to Adams et al (1999) as a starting point.…”

Biopolymer-Based Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

“…1 Artificial substitutes are most often not as useful and long-lasting as the original tissues, and transplantation of real organs is severely limited by the shortage of donors. 2 Even when such organs are available, disease transmission and recipient rejection are the limiting factors. 3 With the advent of technological advances in cellular and molecular biology, engineering, and materials science, tissue engineering is budding to fulfill this long sought dream.…”

“…Replacement of body parts has been studied for at least 2500 years, when missing teeth were substituted with artificial teeth engraved from the bones of oxen . Artificial substitutes are most often not as useful and long-lasting as the original tissues, and transplantation of real organs is severely limited by the shortage of donors . Even when such organs are available, disease transmission and recipient rejection are the limiting factors .…”

Dialling for donations: practices and actions in the telephone solicitation of human tissues

“…In the Institute of Medicine’s recent report on organ donation (Childress and Liverman 2006), committee members strongly recommended against financial incentives. In short, many scholars agree that we have not yet ‘wrung all the supply we can out of the donative system’ (Thorne 1998: 247).…”