St. Louis – The Board of Directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, at its meeting Dec. 4, unanimously approved a set of updated requirements for OPTN member institutions to report to the OPTN events of particular concern due to risks to patient safety. The action also will enhance the OPTN Patient Safety Reporting Portal to allow easier reporting of patient safety situations.
“This action will enhance and clarify our process for identifying and improving potential patient safety situations,” said Dianne LaPointe-Rudow, DNP, president of the board. “The OPTN has long been responsible for acting on a variety of safety events and further reporting them to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This action gives more detailed descriptions of circumstances where members must notify the OPTN in a timely manner. We expect it to help ensure prompt reporting and support a thorough effort to improve patient outcomes.”
In other action, the board approved release of a white paper addressing the ethical principles involved in normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), a procedure used in some instances to recover organs from donors who have been declared dead by circulatory criteria. White papers are not OPTN policy; they are instead intended to inform additional discussion on issues related to organ donation and transplant.
In addition, the board approved the slate of nominees for the election of board members for open positions beginning July 1, 2024.
Other actions
The board took a number of additional actions as follows:
- Approved policy revisions to allow a transplant program to accept only one organ offer at a time for any individual transplant candidate
- Endorsed revisions to eligibility criteria for adult heart Status 2 candidates with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or a percutaneous endovascular mechanical circulatory support device
- Approved an updated guidance document intended to optimize the recovery of vascular composite allografts (VCA)
- Approved collection of new data fields regarding devices or therapies used to support organ function of deceased donors prior to organ recovery
- Authorized removal of approval signature submission requirements for candidates with a high calculated panel reactive antibody (CPRA) score
- Approved an updated guidance document to help donation and transplant professionals know when to test or screen for seasonal and geographically endemic infections in living and deceased organ donors
Discussion of OPTN Expeditious Task Force
The board heard a status update from the OPTN Expeditious Task Force on developing its bold aims to improve efficiency in organ acceptance and usage. The board also offered additional input and recommendations to guide the task force’s ongoing efforts.
