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Abstract
In 2017, for the first time in organ procurement history, the total number of deceased organ donors in the United States exceeded 10,000, representing a total increment of 3% more organs transplanted compared to the year prior. Despite this milestone and positive improvements in recent decades, around 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant, and a new patient is added to the national transplant waiting list every ten minutes. As the organ shortage crisis continues, each year the number of individuals on the waiting list far exceeds the number of available donors and organs. This project focused on identifying possible deficiencies and root causes of the organ shortage crisis in Wisconsin, and identified the resources for the implementation of an improved organ procurement system. Finally, it resulted in a detailed and viable implementation plan that would increase the number of organs available for transplantation in the state of Wisconsin.
To create a viable implementation plan of an improved organ donation model, this project reviewed various data reported from national and international organizations in order to evaluate variations and trends among successful organ donation programs around the world, and develop an accurate understanding of the current state of organ donation in the U.S. In addition, the project reviewed the total number of deaths and the major causes of deaths in 2017 in Wisconsin to estimate the number of potential deceased donors and define the gap between estimated potential deceased donors and the actual total deceased donors in 2017. Additionally, research was conducted on the current organ transplant programs in Wisconsin to identify how they could be leveraged in the new model.
The project resulted in the recommendation of a transport topology that should optimize the availability and management of organ procurement, transport and transplant. This hub-and-spoke model has been used in various geographies throughout the world with suitable success. Based on the hospital distribution in Wisconsin, this state should be suitable for this model in a manner that connects primary urban hub hospitals in southern Wisconsin with suburban and rural hospitals throughout the state. If implemented, it is expected that this system would improve transplant numbers.