Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is the unified transplant network established by the United States Congress under the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) of 1984. The act called for the network to be operated by a private, non-profit organization under federal contract. The OPTN is a unique public-private partnership that links all of the professionals involved in the donation and transplantation system. The primary goals of the OPTN are to:
- increase the effectiveness and efficiency of organ sharing and equity in the national system of organ allocation, and to
- increase the supply of donated organs available for transplantation.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a non-profit, scientific and educational organization that administers the OPTN. UNOS:
- collects and manages data about every transplant event occurring in the United States
- facilitates the organ matching and placement process using UNOS-developed data technology and the UNOS Organ Center
- brings together medical professionals, transplant recipients, and donor families to develop organ transplantation policy
For more information about the OPTN, please visit their website at www.optn.org. To learn more about UNOS, please visit their site at www.unos.org.
