Case Studies
Case studies showcase real-world applications of policies and innovations, offering insights into improving outcomes and efficiency. They enhance problem-solving skills, highlight best practices, and engage through storytelling for education and transparency.
Interest(s): Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Emerging Technology, Growth in Transplantation, Hospital Donation Process & Education, Innovation
Organ(s): Eye, Heart, Intestine, Islet Cells, Kidney, Liver, Lung, Pancreas, Small Bowel, Tissue, Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA)
Patient Group(s): Adult, Pediatric & Neonatal
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Increasing Organ Donors and Transplants via Interoperability
Nicole
Ferguson
, InVita Healthcare Technologies
The Challenge
At many hospitals across the country, the CMS-required potential organ donor referral process continues to be a laborious process that requires an estimated 10–20-minute phone call to the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). To replace the current time-consuming and error-prone telephonic referral, OPOs are collaborating with their partner hospitals to implement a secure, direct, electronic donor referral interface to transmit the potential referrals directly to the OPO.
The Approach
iReferral directly connects the OPO and Hospital systems and is accompanied by seamless donor referral triggers within the Hospital EMR. These triggers automatically prompt delivery of electronic donor referrals from the Hospital to the OPO upon the entry of pre-determined data charted in the EMR. Immediately the recipient OPO receives a new pre-populated referral with actionable patient information and returns the OPO referral ID number to the patient’s EMR.
Lifeline is the federally designated OPO serving Central and Southeast Ohio, as well as Wood and Hancock counties in West Virginia. Lifeline has worked with their software provider, InVita Healthcare Technologies (InVita), to implement this interface (iReferral) at their hospital partner networks Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center, West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine, and Licking Memorial Hospital.
The Results
iReferral has led to significant results including clinician time savings and increases in donors and transplants. With over 1,000 referrals sent over the interface, hospital clinicians saved ~330 hours of time that would have otherwise been spent on the phone. After a year of implementation at one of their hospital systems, Lifeline saw a 57% increase in vented referrals, 49% increase in organ donors, 34% increase in organs transplanted, and 50% increase in tissue and eye donors (please see attached chart for additional details). Lifeline also experienced a decrease in missed organ referrals from 18% to 4%.
Insights & Lessons Learned
iReferral streamlines the required and critical donation referral process. By automating the identification of potential organ and tissue donors, iReferral has demonstrated increased referrals, donors, and ultimately transplants, leading to more lives healed and saved.