Developing a national allocation model for cadaveric kidneys

The UNOS Kidney Allocation Model (UKAM) is a software tool for the simulation and analysis of national cadaveric kidney and kidney-pancreas allocation policies for transplantation. UKAM is modular and is designed to enable easy updating of the various components as new data become available. UKAM's flexibility gives the user the ability to create and evaluate an almost infinite number of detailed allocation policies. This will enable the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to make decisions based on quantitative data when considering changes in organ allocation policies. 1 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF UKAM Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal (kidney) disease. Currently over 45,000 patients are waiting for a cadaveric kidney transplant (UNOS 2000). Although many patients with end-stage renal disease can live for years on dialysis, their quality of life is severely diminished. While on dialysis, patients must report for treatment 2-3 ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: WSC
• Authors: Sarah E. Taranto, Ann M. Harper, Erick B. Edwards, John D. Rosendale, Maureen A. McBride, O. Patrick Daily, Dan Murphy, Bill Poos, Janet S. Reust, Bruce W. Schmeiser
• Keywords: Allocation Policies, Cadaveric Kidneys, Modeling And Simulation, UNOS, WSC 2000