Making a national donor research program a reality: Concepts for operationalizing a system.

Deceased donor research remains an elusive goal for improving organ utilization and function. Many working in this field have cited the barriers that impede the conduct of such trials. Recent reports from the Academy of Medicine and individual authors provide a general framework on which a National Donor Research Program could be built. This paper provides one observer's viewpoint on how such a program could be operationalized.