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Organ donation and utilization, 1995-2004: entering the collaborative era
W H Marks1, D Wagner, T C Pearson
1Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA. Dmrk8@aol.com
Summary
The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative significantly boosted deceased organ donation rates by 11% in 2004. This initiative improved consent strategies and increased organ recovery from living donors and donation after cardiac death.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation Science
- Public Health Initiatives
- Medical Data Analysis
Background:
- End-stage organ disease incidence is rising, necessitating advancements in organ donation and transplantation.
- The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative was a federal initiative aimed at improving organ donation rates.
- This study presents national organ donation data from 1995-2004, including the period following the collaborative's initiation.
Observation:
- Deceased organ donation growth was 2%-4% annually before 2003.
- Following the collaborative's implementation in 2003, deceased donation increased by 11% in 2004.
- Organs recovered from donation after cardiac death (DCD) increased from 64 (1995) to 391 (2004).
Findings:
- The collaborative's best practices enhanced consent strategies, minority participation, and team design.
- Living donor organs nearly doubled from 3493 (1995) to 7002 (2004).
- Trends indicate an increase in living unrelated and non-directed donations.
Implications:
- The collaborative demonstrates a successful federal strategy to increase organ supply for transplantation.
- Further research is needed on the cost-effectiveness of donation after cardiac death (DCD) and expanded criteria donors (ECD).
- The rise in living donations highlights evolving donor demographics and motivations.