A system's approach to improve organ donation

Prog Transplant. 2009 Sep;19(3):216-20. doi: 10.1177/152692480901900304.

Abstract

Using lessons learned from the US Department of Health and Human Services National Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System (NYPHS) partnered with 5 donor service areas covering its member hospitals to improve donation across the system. By integrating established communication networks with the "spread" techniques of the Breakthrough Collaborative, the NYPHS identified hospital champions and best practices and established standardized outcome metrics. The improvements that resulted were a sustained increase of 40.23% in consent rate and an initial 41.7% increase in conversion rate during the first 6 months, although that conversion rate was not sustainable. During the 8 measured periods, 21 hospitals met or exceeded the 75% conversion rate during 1 or more quarters. NYPHS was able to spread these successes and outcome metrics through its established communication networks of quarterly report cards, regular senior leader meetings, and real-time access to a secure member-only Web site, thus keeping organ and tissue donation at the forefront of hospital leaders' priorities.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Benchmarking / organization & administration*
  • Communication
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent / statistics & numerical data
  • Interinstitutional Relations
  • Multi-Institutional Systems / organization & administration*
  • New York
  • Organizational Culture
  • Organizational Objectives
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Referral and Consultation / statistics & numerical data
  • Systems Analysis
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / organization & administration*
  • Total Quality Management / organization & administration*
  • Waiting Lists