[Integrated Procurement Model: A new approach to Tissue and Organ Procurement]

Introduction: Literature has shown that the process of procurement of organs and tissues is fundamental in determining the number of donations. Starting from these assumptions, an integrated procurement model of organs and tissues has been designed and tested, where nurse specialists in organ donation coordinate the team and the entire process. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Integrated Procurement Models in terms of identifying potential donors and the number of donations. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted before and after the introduction of the new procurement model in a large University Hospital in Rome. The data of potential donors identified, the number of donations made and the efficiency indicators of the donation process were compared. Results: 692 potential donors were identified. The introduction of the integrated model increased the number of actual donors (from 31 to 51), brain death assessments (from 69 to 99), and the efficiency indicators of the donation process (from 0.25 to 0.29). From the comparison between the activities before and after the introduction of the integrated procurement model, statistically significant differences emerged regarding the number of donors and the amount of corneal tissue extracted. Conclusions: The adoption of the standardized Integrated Procurement Model would increase the number of potential donors and actual donations, thanks also to the key role assumed by the nurse specializing in organ donation as team and process coordinator.