Does quality improvement work? Evaluation of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Science
• Public Health Initiatives
• Quality Improvement in Healthcare

Background:

• Deceased organ donation is critical for saving lives.
• Identifying potential donors and securing consent are key challenges.
• The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative aimed to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative's first phase on organ donation rates.
• To assess the effectiveness of implementing "best practices" in organ donation processes.

Main Methods:

• A controlled pre/post design was used, comparing 95 Collaborative hospitals to 125 control hospitals.
• Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network were analyzed.
• The conversion rate (eligible donors to actual donors) was calculated for pre- and post-intervention periods.

Main Results:

• Pre-intervention conversion rates were similar in both groups (52% vs. 51%).
• Post-intervention, Collaborative hospitals' conversion rate rose to 60%, while control hospitals remained at 51%.
• This represented a significant 8 percentage point increase in the Collaborative group (p<.001).

Conclusions:

• The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative effectively increased organ donation rates.
• The initiative's focus on "best practices" demonstrated success in improving donor conversion.
• Quality improvement efforts can significantly enhance deceased organ donation outcomes.