Actions to strengthen the U.S. organ donation and transplant system
Data collection: Enable the OPTN to collect donor potential data directly from hospitals to drive improvement in OPOs, diversify donor pool
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Greater access to accurate information and data on potential donors will help the OPTN’s work with the transplant community to increase efficiency to strengthen the system.
UNOS Action
In February 2024, the Secretary of Health & Human Services issued a directive that authorizes the OPTN to collect pre-waitlist data. UNOS, as the OPTN contractor, will continue working with the administration, Congress and the donation and transplant community to implement this directive.
Additionally, UNOS is working with Congress on legislation that would enable improved data collection on potential organ donors. This would require hospitals to disseminate data they currently collect on potential organ donors to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and then to the OPTN. Access to this information will inform organ procurement organization (OPO) performance monitoring and improvement and could increase accurate donor referrals. It would also direct CMS to study the current, voluntary use of automated donor referral notifications and develop recommendations to promote broader adoption.
The UNOS Action Agenda reflects the needs of the broader donation and transplant community.
All stakeholders, including UNOS, share a common mission:
Get as many transplantable organs as possible to patients who need them, fairly, equitably and efficiently.
All parts of the national system must be held accountable for making sure that this happens. The transplant community and the OPTN must provide the highest level of service to patients and the greatest level of transparency to the public who have charged them with this lifesaving work.
Up next:
4. Transparency