Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates’ Post

A major step forward in organ transplant reform! HRSA has awarded multiple contracts to modernize the U.S. organ transplant system, enhancing patient safety, transparency, and efficiency. This is a vital change for the 100,000+ people on the transplant waitlist. Learn more about how this initiative will shape the future of organ donation https://lnkd.in/eivRG76Y

Everyone wants to support Islet Cell transplant and research but there certainly need to be OPO documentation requirements on where they went and how they were used after they are gifted by altruistic donors and recovered. We have no data now and none is required. For all we know there could be freezers full of recovered panceata not being used by anybody except those few with the motivation to count them as organs transplanted to inflate their performance metrics. More transparency would be helpful in maintaining the public trust and in supporting Islet Cell Research. #organdonation #organtransplant #pancreastransplant #isletcell #isletcellresearch #curediabetes

Assessing Liver Function in Patients With HCC: The Child-Pugh Score @ArndtVogel OncLive https://vist.ly/pub3 #liver #disease #nonprofit

Kidney Transplant Outcomes From Deceased Donors Who Received Dialysis versus those who did not https://lnkd.in/g2A6KUew To quote" kidney transplant from deceased donors who received dialysis prior to donation were associated with a statistically significant ( OR 4.17 (3.2-5.2) ) higher risk of delayed graft function but no increased risk of adverse long-term outcomes (mortality, all-cause graft failure or death-censored graft failure) compared with kidney transplant from deceased donors who did not receive dialysis. Will this study (prospective cohort) move the needle towards greater acceptance of donors from dialysis pool- likely not in my opinion- delayed graft function was at least 4 times higher in dialysis needing deceased donors- with the added fiscal burden, I suspect that the findings will likely push transplant centers away from utilizing this pool

The organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the USA are facing critical challenges that significantly hinder their effectiveness. Despite being a crucial part of the transplantation system, these issues are deeply rooted in the corporate and regulatory structures, leading to a lag behind other developed countries in terms of organ procurement and transplantation outcomes. One of the primary issues is the inefficiency and lack of standardization across OPOs. There are significant disparities in the performance of OPOs, with some areas achieving as low as three kidneys procured per million population compared to 40 per million in others. This inconsistency points to systemic issues in how OPOs operate and are regulated, resulting in a fragmented and inefficient system. Regulatory oversight also poses a significant barrier. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network have stringent performance criteria focusing on one-year patient and graft survival outcomes. This heavy scrutiny leads to a risk-averse behavior among transplant centers, discouraging them from taking on higher-risk transplants and leading to unnecessary organ discards (Kasiske et al., 2016). This regulatory environment stifles innovation and ultimately reduces the number of transplants performed. The lack of comprehensive data and transparency in the organ procurement process is another significant issue. The process relies heavily on voluntary cooperation from medical professionals and families of potential donors, but without sufficient data on how these processes work, it is challenging to implement effective improvements. There are also unique compliance challenges related to federal regulations. A significant proportion of OPOs do not fully comply with Title 21, Section 1271 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which addresses infectious disease risk in tissue procurement. This lack of compliance affects the overall safety and reliability of the organ procurement process (Winters et al., 2009). Furthermore, social determinants of health and inclusivity issues are rarely discussed in public forums but play a crucial role in organ transplantation. There are disparities in organ donation and transplantation rates among minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. These disparities are exacerbated by the complex consent processes and the lack of targeted educational initiatives to raise awareness and encourage donation within these communities (Lewis et al., 2020). The current system is also hindered by outdated and inefficient operational practices. Despite the high potential for organ donations, the lack of a standardized approach to donor identification and procurement, coupled with inconsistent support for donor families, leads to missed opportunities for organ donations. #OrganDonation #TransplantationReform #TransplantInnovation #HealthcareTransparency #OrganProcurement ** contact me to discuss

Pleased to see today’s piece from the Toronto Star, highlighting a long anticipated initiative: a national reporting system on organ donation and transplantation – a plan of which deputy health ministers will consider during an upcoming meeting this Spring. Funded by Health Canada, Infoway is collaborating with CIHI on a multi-year project, working diligently to develop and launch a modernized pan-Canadian organ donation and transplantation (ODT) data and performance reporting system by 2024. The implementation of a national plan for ODT will significantly enhance efficiency and connectivity among existing provincial organizations. This transformative system will foster equitable access to donation and transplants, including breaking down geographical barriers by providing opportunities across provinces, irrespective of a patient's place of residence. For individuals like Matt Scaife, and countless others, timing means everything. In critical moments requiring split-second decisions, a system that mitigates siloed information and bridges data gaps is essential. This work will greatly advance the development of a national ODT system that can provide swift accessibility for urgent decisions when individuals need it most, and ultimately, a future of connected care for all Canadians. More on Toronto Star: https://lnkd.in/gUX_a7XD More on ODT system: https://lnkd.in/g5w-Fwui 

This is big news! The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which maintains the national registry for organ matching, has just announced that they will stop using race of the donor as a predictor of kidney grant failure. https://lnkd.in/ejaSeeFh Until now, kidneys from Black donors were systematically considered to be of inferior quality compared to donated kidneys from people of any other race. The equation that is used to predict graft failure (KDPI) predicted a risk of failure 18% higher when the donor was Black. Fewer available kidneys from Black donors has contributed to disparities in receiving kidney transplants among Black patients. This an example of systemic racism in medicine that is being addressed by the Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine, which I help to convene as part of my role at Independence Blue Cross. Today, I am particularly proud of the education and advocacy the Coalition has done to advance understanding of the harms of race-based medicine and especially our advocacy for this OPTN policy change.

Today CMS announced the proposed Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model: go.cms.gov/iota. The mandatory model is designed to support better outcomes for people living with #kidneydisease by incentivizing an increased number of – and more #equitable access to – #kidneytransplants. The model would also promote care coordination and patient-centeredness in the kidney transplant process. The model is part of a wider effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Organ Transplant Affinity Group, a collaboration involving CMS and the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase equity in organ transplantation, improve accountability for organ transplants in the U.S., and increase the availability and use of donated organs: go.cms.gov/otag.

This is an exciting step toward expanding access to transplantation and equitable care for all Americans awaiting a kidney transplant, particularly those in historically disadvantaged groups. I’m particularly intrigued by the proposals to address social health determinants and reduce other barriers to care, as well as to increase living donation by identifying more donors and helping them through the process. It’s incumbent upon all of us in the transplant industry – hospitals, labs, diagnostic providers, policymakers, etc. – to work together to break down the biases and barriers we know are inherent in the current system. Health equity is at forefront of our minds as we develop new and innovative solutions to enable better patient care and outcomes. What do you think? Will this proposed rule help move us forward?

Star Hospitals Launchs National-level Paired (Swap) Kidney Donation Registry. Currently, India faces a concerning shortage of kidney donors, with over 200,000 patients in need of transplants annually, yet only 8,000 to 12,000 transplants occurring. Despite advanced treatment options, only 3% to 5% of patients undergo kidney transplantation. This shortage persists due to limited awareness of alternatives like ABO incompatible transplant and Kidney Swap Transplant, which allow for transplantation even with unmatched donors. With Paired (Swap) Kidney Exchange, we can increase the donor pool from 5% to 40%, significantly improving the chances for patients in need. The mission of the Star Paired (Swap) Kidney Transplant Donor Registry is to connect willing donors and recipients, facilitating unrelated matched donations and saving lives. Join us in making a difference in the lives of those awaiting life-saving kidney transplants! Registry: https://lnkd.in/guzENrCG #KidneyTransplant #InnovationInHealthcare #SwapDonationRevolution #HyderabadHealthcare #StarHospitals #StarHospitalsBanjaraHills #StarHospitalsNanakramGuda