New federal initiative aimed at revamping organ procurement system
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Key takeaways:
- The Health Resources Services Administration is opening a competitive bidding process for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network contract.
- Some organizations are showing support.
The Health Resources Services Administration, which oversees the contract with the United Network for Organ Sharing to manage the U.S. organ procurement system, has launched a new initiative aimed at improving access to donor organs.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative follows recent criticism of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and its management of the OPTN, including a Senate investigation that found more than 1,100 complaints were filed against the network between 2010 and 2020.
Multiple contracts
According to a press release, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) plans to introduce contract solicitations for multiple awards to manage and improve the OPTN. Currently, it is unknown how long the contracts will be valid, nor when these will be made available for application.
The current contract between HRSA and UNOS, which created and has managed the OPTN for 36 years, is due for renewal this year.
“We welcome a competitive and open bidding process for the next [OPTN] contract to advance our efforts to save as many lives as possible, as equitably as possible,” UNOS said in a press release. “We believe we have the experience and expertise required to best serve the nation’s patients and to help implement HRSA’s proposed initiatives.”
The HRSA initiative would also focus on modernizing the information technology infrastructure, install an OPTN board of directors independent of the contractor and develop a public dashboard of key measures. HRSA will also request an investment of $67 million from the Biden administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget, as well as to remove the cap on OPTN contracts and allow for more eligible contract entities.
Support
The American Society of Nephrology expressed support for the bidding process, in addition to the other changes included in the OPTN Modernization Initiative.
“ASN believes that patients’ access to kidney transplant care is of life-or-death importance, and strongly supports HRSA’s efforts to expedite reforms that will maximize access to transplant care,” Michelle A. Josephson, MD, FASN, president of ASN, said in a press release. “The policy changes announced today are a positive step in the right direction.”
Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, said in a news statement that the organization “welcomes today’s long overdue announcement from [HRSA] that it plans to modernize the [OPTN] to drive more efficiency, accountability, transparency and performance improvement in our nation’s transplant system.
“Transplant candidates, organ donors, their families and the American public deserve a state-of-the-art transplant system that will honor and maximize every gift for organ donation and optimize each transplant opportunity,” Longino, a transplant recipient, said. “Our current transplant system still relies on antiquated technology and inefficient systems that create life-threatening bureaucracy and delays. While the overall rate of transplants has increased in recent years, it still falls far short of patient needs.”
More data on the Modernization Initiative can be found here.
- References:
- American Society of Nephrology statement on Health Resources and Services Administration Initiative to modernize Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. https://www.newswise.com/articles/american-society-of-nephrology-statement-on-health-resources-and-services-administration-initiative-to-modernize-organ-procurement-and-transplantation-network. Published March 22, 2023. Accessed March 22, 2023.
- HRSA announces Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Modernization Initiative. https://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/press-releases/organ-procurement-transplantation-network-modernization-initiative. Published March 22, 2023. Accessed March 22, 2023.
- Lack of government accountability and oversight is costing lives. https://www.kidney.org/news/lack-government-accountability-and-oversight-costing-lives-0. Published March 22, 2023. Accessed March 22, 2023.
- UNOS welcomes competitive bidding process for next OPTN contract. https://unos.org/news/unos-welcomes-competitive-bidding-process-for-next-optn-contract/. Published March 22, 2023. Accessed March 22, 2023.
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