Improving our technology infrastructure

Last summer, the president signed an executive order calling for a number of key improvements in care for people with end stage kidney failure. We appreciate the national focus on this issue, and we are excited about the opportunity that this brings for increasing organ donation and transplantation.

As part of that broad initiative, the Department of Health and Human Services is asking for ideas and information about how to improve the national information technology system for matching transplantable organs and managing detailed, confidential medical data on transplant patients and organ donors.

HHS has issued such requests for information several times in the past. The information they gather often guides development of new projects and responsibilities for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

We will respond to the RFI with information about how we currently manage and continually update a system that matches organs 24/7. We’ll also talk about how we manage a secure database with confidential health records on more than a million people who have been organ donors, have received transplants or ever have been listed for a transplant. And we’ll detail our progress in working with the transplant community to develop a number of key improvements to increase the number of organs transplanted – improvements like image sharing, mobile access, data analysis and automated data sharing.

As with any information technology system, ours can be enhanced to meet new capabilities and new demands. We are glad to have national attention devoted to how our system can further improve. We’re also glad to share our experience and expertise in managing the vital, complex and rapidly evolving technology needs of the community we serve.

Originally published Nov. 8, 2019

*Note: The RFI was released Nov. 14, 2019. UNOS looks forward to responding.