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When making organ transplantation allocation decisions, physicians have a responsibility to provide equitable and just access to health care, including only utilizing organ allocation protocols that are based on ethically sound and clinically relevant criteria.

When making allocation decisions for organ transplantation, physicians should not consider non-medical factors, such as socioeconomic and/or immigration status, except to the extent that they are clinically relevant.

Given the lifesaving potential of organ transplants, as a profession, physicians should: 

  1. Make efforts to increase the supply of organs for transplantation.
  2. Strive to reduce and overcome non-clinical barriers to transplantation access.
  3. Advocate for health care entities to provide greater and more equitable access to organ transplants for all who could benefit.
AMA Principles of Medical Ethics: I, III, V
Read the Principles