The OPTN Deceased Donor Potential Study: Implications for Policy and Practice

Area of Science:

• Organ transplantation research
• Public health policy
• Healthcare resource management

Background:

• The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Deceased Donor Potential Study aimed to understand the deceased donor pool.
• The study was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration to inform policy and practice changes.
• Increasing organ donors and transplants is a critical public health goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the current pool of potential deceased organ donors.
• To estimate changes in the deceased donor pool through 2020.
• To identify opportunities for increasing organ donation and transplantation rates.

Main Methods:

• Utilized filtering methodologies on datasets from OPTN, National Center for Health Statistics, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• Estimated the potential deceased donor pool through 2020 based on available data.
• Analyzed demographic factors and donor types, including Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD).

Main Results:

• Projected a modest annual growth of 0.5% in the donor pool through 2020.
• Identified significant unrealized donor potential across all demographics, particularly in the 50-75 age group (70%) and potential DCD donors.
• Confounding medical comorbidities and utilization practices limit actual transplants from identified potential donors.

Conclusions:

• Unrealized deceased donor potential exists, especially among older adults and DCD donors.
• Current administrative data may not capture all relevant medical comorbidities.
• Policy, regulatory, and practice modifications are necessary to broaden the donor pool and increase organ transplantation rates in the U.S.