The OPTN Expeditious Task Force: Improved Organ Utilization and Efficiency to Drive Transformational Growth in Solid Organ Transplant in the United States.

Abstract

The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) Expeditious Task Force (ETF) was conceived and initiated in response to a need to move quickly to greatly expand successful deceased-donor transplant across the United States. The ETF, using data from the top 20% of transplant programs ranked by ability to manage successful growth in transplant volume, came up with a bold aim of facilitating 60,000 successful transplants by 2026 to save more lives. In order to achieve this transformational growth, the ETF will use a data-driven approach, partnering with key stakeholders across the transplant system to secure commitments, reduce barriers, obtain data, align metrics, evaluate new technologies, and run short trials that will better inform future policy developments. To achieve this growth, the 2 primary aims of the ETF are increasing system efficiency and improving organ and donor utilization. The initial ETF work streams will focus on 6 areas: (1) assessments of organ nonutilization (where donors are consented but organs not recovered) and nonuse (where organs are recovered but not transplanted), (2) facilitating community events to address challenges in utilization and efficiency, (3) hosting transplant growth collaboratives focused on securing resources needed for transformational growth, (4) creating tools for patient empowerment, (5) evaluating OPTN policies to remove barriers, and (6) designing short trials of rescue pathways for organs at risk for nonuse.