Dataset Information

Evaluating Spatial Associations in Inpatient Deaths Between Organ Procurement Organizations.

ABSTRACT: To improve the measurement of organ procurement organization (OPO) performance, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently proposed using inpatient deaths defined as the eligible pool of organ donors within an OPO as patients 75 years or younger that died from any cause that would not preclude donation.

Methods

To account for the geographic variation in OPO performance and organ availability across the United States, we utilized spatial analysis to appraise the newly proposed metric of inpatient deaths.

Results

Using spatial clustering that accounts for geographic relationships between Organ Procurement Organizations, the top 5 causes of donation-eligible death, and inpatient deaths, we identified 4 unique OPO clusters. Each group had a distinct demographic composition, cause of death, and inpatient death pattern. In multivariate analysis accounting for these geographic relationships, the spatial clusters remained significantly associated with the outcome of inpatient deaths (P < 0.001) and were the best-fitting model compared with models without the spatial clusters; this suggests that further risk adjustment of inpatient deaths should include these geographic considerations.

Conclusions

This approach provides not only a manner to assess donor potential by improving risk adjustment but also an opportunity to further explore geographic and spatial relationships in the practice of organ transplantation and OPO performance.

SUBMITTER: Adler JT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8183974 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Evaluating Spatial Associations in Inpatient Deaths Between Organ Procurement Organizations.

Adler Joel T JT Dey Tanujit T

Transplantation direct 20210211 3

To improve the measurement of organ procurement organization (OPO) performance, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently proposed using inpatient deaths defined as the eligible pool of organ donors within an OPO as patients 75 years or younger that died from any cause that would not preclude donation.<h4>Methods</h4>To account for the geographic variation in OPO performance and organ availability across the United States, we utilized spatial analysis to appraise the newly proposed ...[more]

PMID: 34113711

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Project description:ImportanceDespite the unmet need for donor organs, organ use from donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) donors has been limited by inferior transplant outcomes. Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) improves recipient outcomes and organ utilization from DCD donors. There is variability in NRP policies and experience among US organ procurement organizations (OPOs).ObjectivesTo determine OPO experience, identify operational inconsistencies, and explore needs related to NRP.Design, setting, and participantsThis survey study included 55 OPOs in the US that had recovered DCD organs and completed a survey on operational, administrative, and educational components related to NRP in November to December 2023. Data analysis was performed from February to April 2024.Main outcome and measuresThe primary outcome was the number of OPOs participating in and/or anticipating NRP participation. Secondary outcomes were NRP implementation barriers, OPO education practices, and future needs regarding consensus NRP recommendations and standards.ResultsOf 55 respondents, 11 (20%) were chief executive officers, 8 (15%) were chief operating officers, and 36 (65%) were medical directors or chief clinical officers. Forty-nine OPOs facilitated NRP cases: 26 OPOs (53%) facilitated both thoracoabdominal NRP (TA-NRP) and abdominal NRP (A-NRP) cases, 16 OPOs (33%) facilitated only TA-NRP, and 7 OPOs (14%) facilitated only A-NRP. OPOs reported 606 NRP cases (421 TA-NRP [69%], 185 A-NRP [31%]); median (range) case experience was 8 (1-52). Fifty-two of 55 OPOs (95%) thought standardized guidance documents would be helpful. All 49 OPOs facilitated NRP at a transplant center's request; 39 (80%) had NRP initiated by a nonlocal transplant center. Twenty-three of 49 OPOs (47%) participated in NRP without a policy and without a policy pending approval. Positive donor hospital feedback was received by 29 OPOs (59%), primarily focused on increased organs transplanted and prerecovery communication. Allocation challenges were experienced by 21 OPOs (43%); their median (range) case volume was higher than those with no reported allocation challenges (11 [3-52] vs 6.5 [1-29]; P = .03). Eleven OPOs (22%) had incorporated NRP into general donor hospital education.ConclusionsIn this survey study of US OPOs, wide variation existed with respect to NRP experience and practice. Allocation challenges occurred more frequently with increased NRP experience. NRP guidelines and standardization were desired by most OPOs to decrease allocation challenges and maximize the gift of organ donation.

Project description:BackgroundConsent policies for post-mortem organ procurement (OP) vary throughout Europe, and yet no studies have empirically evaluated the ethical implications of contrasting consent models. To fill this gap, we introduce a novel indicator of governance quality based on the ideal of informed support, and examine national differences on this measure through a quantitative survey of OP policy informedness and preferences in seven European countries.MethodsBetween 2017-2019, we conducted a convenience sample survey of students (n = 2006) in Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Denmark (DK), Germany (DE), Greece (GR), Slovenia (SI) and Spain (ES), asking participants about their donation preferences, as well as their beliefs and views about the policy in place. From these measures, we computed indices of informedness, policy support, and fulfilment of unexpressed preferences, which we compared across countries and consent systems.ResultsOur study introduces a tool for analyzing policy governance in the context of OP. Wide variation in policy awareness was observed: Most respondents in DK, DE, AT and BE correctly identified the policy in place, while those in SI, GR and ES did not. Respondents in opt-out countries (AT, BE, ES and GR) tended to support the policy in place (with one exception, i.e., SI), whereas those in opt-in countries (DE and DK) overwhelmingly opposed it. These results reveal stark differences in governance quality across countries and consent policies: We found a preponderance of informed opposition in opt-in countries and a general tendency towards support-either informed or uninformed-in opt-out countries. We also found informed divergence in opt-in countries and a tendency for convergence-either informed or uninformed-among opt-out countries.ConclusionOur study offers a novel tool for analyzing governance quality and illustrates, in the context of OP, how the strengths and weaknesses of different policy implementations can be estimated and compared using quantitative survey data.

Project description:ImportanceOrgan transplant is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage organ failure. In the US, organ procurement organizations (OPOs) are responsible for the evaluation and procurement of organs from donors who have died; however, there is controversy regarding what measures should be used to evaluate their performance.ObjectiveTo evaluate OPO performance metrics using combined mortality and donation data and quantify the associations of population demographics with donation metrics.Design, setting, and participantsThis national cohort study includes data from the US organ transplantation system from January 2008 through December 2017. All individuals who died within the US, as reported by the National Death index, were included.ExposuresDeath, organ donation, and donation eligibility.Main outcomes and measuresEvaluation of the variation in donation metrics and the use of ineligible donors by OPO and demographic subgroup.ResultsThis study included 17 501 742 deaths and 75 769 deceased organ donors (45 040 men [59.4%]; 51 908 White individuals [68.5%]). Of these donors, 15 857 (20.9%) were not eligible, as defined by the OPOs. The median donation metrics by OPO were 0.004 (range, 0.002-0.012) donors per death, 0.89 (range, 0.68-1.30) donors per eligible death, and 0.72 (range, 0.57-0.86) eligible donors per eligible death. The OPOs in the upper quartile of the overall eligible donors per eligible death metric were in the upper quartile of annual rankings on 90 of 140 occasions (64.3%). There was little overlap in top-performing OPOs between metrics; an OPO in the upper quartile for 1 metric was also in the upper quartile for the other metrics on 37 of 570 occasions (6.5% of the time). The median donor eligibility rate, defined as the number of eligible donors per donor, was 0.79 (range, 0.61-0.95) across OPOs. Age (eg, 65 to 84 years, coefficient, -0.55 [SE, 0.03]; P < .001; vs those aged 18 to 34 years), sex (male individuals, -0.09 [SE, 0.02]; P < .001; vs female individuals), race (eg, Black individuals, 0.35 [SE, 0.02]; P < .001; vs White individuals), cause of death (eg, central nervous system tumor, 0.48 [SE, 0.08]; P < .001; vs anoxia), year (eg, 2016-2017: -0.10 [SE, 0.03]; P < .001; vs 2008-2009), and OPO were associated with the use of ineligible donors; OPO was a significant factor associated with performance in all metrics (χ256, 500.5; P < .001; coefficient range across individual OPOs, -0.15 [SE, 0.09] to 0.75 [SE, 0.09]), even after accounting for population differences. Female and non-White individuals were significantly less likely to be used as ineligible donors.Conclusions and relevanceWe demonstrate significant variability in OPO performance rankings, depending on which donation metric is used. There were significant differences in OPO performance, even after accounting for differences in potential donor populations. Our data suggest significant variation in use of ineligible donors among OPOs, a source for increased donors. The performance of OPOs should be evaluated using a range of donation metrics.

Dataset Information

Evaluating Spatial Associations in Inpatient Deaths Between Organ Procurement Organizations.

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Evaluating Spatial Associations in Inpatient Deaths Between Organ Procurement Organizations.

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