title: Who gets a heart? Rationing and rationalizing in heart transplantation.
abstract: National policy on organ transplantation is made by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a representative body composed of health care professionals and patients. Standardized criteria for determining when a patient should be placed on the waiting list for heart transplantation are now in effect nationwide. Current and future directions to maximize the utilization of available donated organs are explored.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Medical Center 98195, USA.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Fishbein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Daily
mesh_terms: D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D040841:Resource Allocation; D013995:Time; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014850:Waiting Lists