Appendix A

Statement of Task

In response to a request from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), a planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) will organize and host a 1.5-day public workshop that will examine disability associated with organ transplantation. In particular, the workshop will include presentations on the functional outcomes for individuals who are recipients of organ transplants, including those of the kidney, liver, and lung.

The workshop will feature invited presentations and panel discussions on topics that may include

• Processes conducted to identify transplant recipients with the highest probability of positive posttransplantation outcomes;
• Current outcome measures for assessing effectiveness of care for individuals who have received organ transplantation (e.g., morbidity and mortality);
• Treatments used to improve a person’s physical or mental functioning following organ transplant, and the settings in which the treatments are provided;
• The typical length of time from transplant surgery until the person’s functioning improves to the point of which the condition is no longer disabling, and specific ages or other recipient traits where improvement is more likely;

• Laboratory or other findings used to assess medical and functional improvement after organ transplant; and
• Recent medical advances or new technologies that may alter expected patient outcomes, and potential advances anticipated in the near future.

The planning committee will develop the agenda for the workshop sessions, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.