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Unpaired Kidney Exchange: Overcoming Double Coincidence of Wants without Money

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  • Mohammad Akbarpour
  • Julien Combe
  • Yinghua He
  • Victor Hiller
  • Robert Shimer
  • Olivier Tercieux

Abstract

For an incompatible patient-donor pair, kidney exchanges often forbid receipt-before-donation (the patient receives a kidney before the donor donates) and donation-before-receipt, causing a double-coincidence-of-wants problem. Our proposed algorithm, the Unpaired kidney exchange algorithm, uses “memory” as a medium of exchange to eliminate these timing constraints. In a dynamic matching model, we prove that Unpaired delivers a waiting time of patients close to optimal and substantially shorter than currently utilized state-of-the-art algorithms. Using a rich administrative dataset from France, we show that Unpaired achieves a match rate of 57 percent and an average waiting time of 440 days. The (infeasible) optimal algorithm is only slightly better (58 percent and 425 days); state-of-the-art algorithms deliver less than 34 percent and more than 695 days. We draw similar conclusions from the simulations of two large U.S. platforms. Lastly, we propose a range of solutions that can address the potential practical concerns of Unpaired.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Akbarpour & Julien Combe & Yinghua He & Victor Hiller & Robert Shimer & Olivier Tercieux, 2020. "Unpaired Kidney Exchange: Overcoming Double Coincidence of Wants without Money," NBER Working Papers 27765, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27765
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    Cited by:

    1. Scott Duke Kominers & Parag A. Pathak & Tayfun Sönmez & M. Utku Ünver, 2020. "Paying It Backward and Forward: Expanding Access to Convalescent Plasma Therapy Through Market Design," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 1007, Boston College Department of Economics.
    2. Yan Long, 2024. "Achieving the maximum size for exchange problems with dichotomous preferences," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 78(2), pages 649-669, September.
    3. Eric Budish & Robin S. Lee & John J. Shim, 2024. "A Theory of Stock Exchange Competition and Innovation: Will the Market Fix the Market?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(4), pages 1209-1246.
    4. Walter Castro & Julio Elias, 2022. "Injecting Adam Smith’s Ideas in the Market for Kidney Transplants," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 828, Universidad del CEMA.
    5. Naonori Kakimura & Donghao Zhu, 2021. "Dynamic Bipartite Matching Market with Arrivals and Departures," Papers 2110.10824, arXiv.org.
    6. Mohammad Akbarpour & Yeganeh Alimohammadi & Shengwu Li & Amin Saberi, 2021. "The Value of Excess Supply in Spatial Matching Markets," Papers 2104.03219, arXiv.org.
    7. Yeon-Koo Che & Olivier Tercieux, 2023. "Optimal Queue Design," Papers 2307.07746, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • D47 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Market Design
    • E49 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Other

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