Transplant center support for infectious diseases.

Area of Science:

• Transplant Infectious Diseases
• Organ Transplantation
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Transplant Infectious Diseases (TID) is a growing field improving transplant outcomes.
• Non-surgical transplant specialties face challenges securing institutional support for patient care programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess institutional support for dedicated Transplant Infectious Diseases (TID) services.
• To identify patterns in TID program characteristics and institutional funding.
• To facilitate the exchange of innovative funding strategies for TID programs.

Main Methods:

• Survey of American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice members.
• Assessment of transplant program characteristics and institutional support for TID.
• Analysis of dedicated TID provider to patient ratios and institutional funding.

Main Results:

• 36 of 53 responding programs had dedicated adult TID services.
• Provider-to-patient ratios varied widely (15:1 to 259:1).
• 21% of programs received no institutional support; larger programs were more likely to receive support.

Conclusions:

• Dedicated TID expertise improves patient outcomes through direct management and education.
• Continued institutional support for TID practitioners' time is essential for optimal transplant outcomes.
• Addressing the challenge of unbillable time for TID providers is critical for program sustainability.