Overcoming Hospital Resistance to Create a Successful Donation After Circulatory Death Program

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Medicine
• Organ Donation
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing demand for organ transplants necessitates expanding donor sources.
• Brain-dead donor numbers remain static, highlighting the need for alternative donation pathways.
• Donation after circulatory death (DCD) offers a viable solution to increase organ availability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and address barriers to implementing a DCD program in a community hospital setting.
• To describe the process of overcoming administrative and cultural challenges.
• To demonstrate the successful establishment of a DCD program as a replicable model.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of barriers encountered during DCD program development.
• Implementation of data-driven strategies to address identified challenges.
• Stakeholder engagement and education to foster cultural change.

Main Results:

• Successfully identified and dismantled administrative and cultural barriers to DCD.
• Established a functional and effective DCD program within the community hospital.
• The DCD program has become a recognized role model within the local healthcare community.

Conclusions:

• Overcoming barriers through data and strategic planning is key to successful DCD program implementation.
• Community hospitals can establish effective DCD programs, contributing significantly to organ donation.
• The developed DCD program serves as a valuable blueprint for other institutions facing similar challenges.