For hospital and medical industry professionals, it’s important to understand the best practices of organ procurement organizations. We help by breaking down the basics and getting to the heart of what’s important. Keep reading for more information.
Every ten minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list. As such, getting viable organs is crucial for the survival of many patients. That’s where organ procurement organizations (OPOs) come in.
OPOs recover organs from deceased individuals and take them to the recipient. In some cases, these organs don’t meet the quality for transplantation. Thus, OPOs distribute them to medical researchers to boost the development of cures.
Those who donate their organs lengthen the lives of the recipients. Transplants also improve the quality of life of the patients. Last, it allows the donor’s family to grieve knowing they have saved someone’s life.
Despite this importance, many people don’t understand how OPOs operate. Keep reading to learn the best practices of organ procurement organizations.
How Organ Procurement Organizations Operate
As of April, this year, there were more than 114,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list. This shows the great responsibility organ procurement organizations have on their hands. Their actions can prolong or save a life from imminent death.
Here are the best practices of OPOs:
1. Saving Lives Through Quick Recovery and Delivery of Organs
Recovery organizations work as fast as possible to get organs to recipients. They show compassion to the families who are grieving for their departed members. At the same time, they explain the process to the donor families.
Once they get approval, they recover viable organs and tissues. Then, they use the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). This network gives them the allocation sequence for donations.
2. Partnering With Telepathology Experts
OPOs are partnering with telepathology experts. This gives them faster results on examinations of recovered tissues. The interpreted data shows whether the recovered organs are healthy. It also allows the OPOs to match the organs or tissues to the right patient.
3. Using High-Quality Facilities and Hiring Experienced Staff and Leaders
Every OPO must have high-quality facilities and experienced professionals. Top facilities ensure the safe, efficient, and accurate recovery and delivery of organs.
The staff must have medical experience and expertise in dealing with organ recovery. Moreover, the leaders should ensure the organization runs without hitches. They should hold everyone to the highest professional and ethical standards.
4. Improving the Organ Procurement Process Through Organizational Relationships
Without organizational relationships, the organ procurement process wouldn’t work well. Thus, everyone involved should connect and build relationships. This includes the OPOs, hospitals, transplant centers, funeral services, and the government.
This ensures everyone is on the same page on the procurement process. Understanding each other’s roles will make the donation process efficient.
5. Educating the Public on Donating Organs
Last, one of the best things OPOs do is public outreach. Most of the public is not aware of the organ donation process. They don’t get to hear about the benefits of donating organs or tissues to those in need.
With the information from the OPOs, the public can start reading about the process. Some may decide to sign up as donors thereby speeding the organ recovery process.
Learn More About Organ Procurement and Telepathology
As you can see, organ procurement organizations work diligently to serve the public. They save lives and partner with telepathology experts to deliver organs faster. They also work with other organizations to boost ethical organ recovery.
Moreover, they educate the public on the importance of donating organs. If the number of donations rises, many people and their families will benefit.
Visit our website to learn more about organ procurement and Telepathology.
