Input obtained through the inaugural “You Share, We Listen” Annual Community Survey conducted by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance is being put into play to shape its upcoming programs and offerings to best serve the community of practice.
“Leaders across the nation in the organ donation and transplantation community implement innovations every day,” says Karri Hobson-Pape, executive director of The Alliance. “It’s critical for us to get input from them as our partners so we can curate the topics and issues of greatest opportunity and put forward the best concepts in our training to accelerate innovation to save more lives.”
Input from partners has always been a priority. This was an important part of the 2021 strategic planning process. Consultant Yerachmiel “Rocky” Ephraim, a Lean Six Sigma consultant at The Joint Commission, was loaned to lead the work of the Strategic Planning Committee, and he championed using a data-driven approach. “I’m a big believer that listening to the ‘voice of the customer’ is what allows organizations to thrive,” says Ephraim. “The insights of the voice of the customer will be improving the Alliance for years to come.”
The survey of more than 14,000 members of the donation and transplantation community was managed by Deanna Fenton, Alliance program manager, who used her analytical skills to identify insights across survey respondents by their clinical and management roles and across their organizational type—transplant centers, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), and hospitals where transplants occur. The survey was open for responses from July 15 – August 5, 2021.
Valued Benefits
Survey respondents across organizational types (transplant programs, OPOs and hospitals) rated emerging topics and trends and the sharing of effective practices as two of the most valuable benefits that the Alliance offers.
| Transplant Programs | OPOs | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Emerging Topics & Trends | 1. Sharing of Effective Practices | 1. Emerging Topics & Trends |
| 2. Sharing of Effective Practices | 2. Emerging Topics & Trends | 2. Sharing of Effective Practices |
| 3. Balanced & Objective Perspective | 3. Community Collaboration and Networking | 3. Continuing Education Credits |
Valued Offerings and Programs
The Alliance offers a wide portfolio of programs and initiatives, from learning programs and collaborative events, professional development and curated resources. Respondents rated the OnDemand Webinars, the live Advancement Learning Series, the Community Resource Toolbox, the National Critical Issues Forum and the Conversation Series among the most valuable offerings of The Alliance. “These results show the importance of on-demand, asynchronistic learning opportunities for donation and transplant professionals given their busy schedules,” says Hobson-Pape.
| Transplant Programs | OPOs | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|
| 1. On-Demand Webinars | 1. Advancement Learning Series (live) | 1. National Critical Issues Forum |
| 2. Advancement Learning Series (live) | 2. On-Demand Webinars | 2. Community Resource Toolbox |
| 3. Community Resource Toolbox | 3. Community Resource Toolbox | 3. Conversation Series |
| 4. OnboardingU | 4. National Critical Issues Forum | 4. Mentorship Program |
| 5. National Critical Issues Forum | 5. Conversation Series | 5. OnboardingU |
Valued Topics
Other programs such as the National Donor Management Summit, the Insight & Spotlight Series, OnBoardingU, Exploratory Seminar, The Job Board, and the Alliance Mentorship Program received strong ratings yet are niche programs that serve a smaller audience. For example, there have been approximately 400 participants in the Mentorship Program.
Respondents rated topics shared through the Alliance’s offerings and said the five topics that provide the greatest value to them are:
- Allocation
- Organ Recovery & Preservation
- Family Support & Aftercare
- Donor Management
- Hospital Education, Engagement, and Partnerships
Respondents highly rated other key topics such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Clinical Pathways to Donation, Authorization, Infectious Diseases and also suggested additional topics.
“We are already putting this feedback to work in designing a new learning management system, which we will roll out in 2022,” says Corey Bryant, senior director of communications for The Alliance. “Insights from this survey will help us design learning pathways for our on-demand programs based on key topics of importance.” Topics for next year’s Advancement Learning Series will be announced in November and topics for the Conversation Series will be announced by the end of the year.
