Because medical technology has advanced to the point that machines can now sustain bodily functions, the definition of death has become more complex and new methods of determining death have been instituted.
Legislation defining death has evolved with the expansion of sophisticated medical technologies.
Organ donation is voluntary; however, because there is a shortage of transplantable organs, most states have enacted "required request" laws that obligate hospitals to institute policies encouraging organ and tissue donations.
Organ transplantation involves issues of rationing that require medical personnel to act as gatekeepers in determining prospective recipients.
Death certification, along with autopsies conducted at the direction of coroners and medical examiners, involves a legal process for reporting the cause and mode of death.
