European Framework for the Evaluation of Organ Transplants

Partners

 

Eurotransplant International Foundation (ET) – Project Leader

The Eurotransplant International Foundation is responsible for the mediation and allocation of organ donation procedures in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Slovenia. The Eurotransplant region numbers well over 124 million inhabitants. Eurotransplant has well defined quality standards and practices. Important aspects of Eurotransplant's quality system involve the Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory and the audit system for evaluating the High Urgent status of patients on the waiting list. Specific objectives of the organization are:

  • to achieve an optimal use of available donor organs and tissues;
  • to secure a transparent and objective selection system, based upon medical criteria;
  • to assess the importance of factors which have the greatest influence on waiting list mortality and transplant results;
  • to support donor procurement to increase the supply of donor organs and tissues;
  • to further improve the results of transplantation through scientific research and to publish and present these results;
  • the promotion, support and coordination of organ donation and transplantation in the broadest sense of the term.

ET is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the project, together with the internal evaluation of the project activities.

 

Centro Nazionale Trapianti (CNT) – Italy

The National Institute of Health (ISS) is a public technical and scientific body of the Italian National Health Service, under the Ministry of Health. The ISS manages and coordinates research and acts as consultant for the Ministry of Health, for the Government and the Regions. The Italian National Transplant Centre (CNT) is a technical body of the Ministry of Health. It was set up under Law 91 of 1999 and it is located at the ISS where it performs its activities as a department of the same body. CNT coordinates all activities concerning donation, allocation and transplantation of organs. It supports the Regions in the regulation of donation, banking and transplantation of tissues and cells by collating activity data, developing and disseminating practice guidelines, inspecting and certifying centres and managing a national vigilance programme. It also manages the Transplant Information System which collects data regarding donation, allocation and transplantation of organs, including transplanted organ quality, defines protocols about safety and security of organ donation and criteria for operational protocols for organ and tissue allocation, allocation of organs for urgencies and national programs. It fixes parameters for transplant quality assessment, promotes information campaigns for the general public, in collaboration with the Italian Health Ministry and patient Associations. Both ISS and CNT have a vast experience in project participation and coordination.

CNT is responsible for 2 workpackages: WP2 – Project Dissemination and WP7 – Quality Assurance

 

European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT)

The European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) aims to become the umbrella organization under which all European transplant activities are organised. ESOT cooperates with many transplant organizations to structure and streamline these transplant activities in Europe. Several Organ Expert Sections within ESOT represent expert knowledge on the respective organs. ESOT trains and supports its members through an extensive educational and basic science programme and encourages excellence through an award and grant programme. Furthermore ESOT gathers the European and international transplant scene at its biannual Congress organised in a European city.

ESOT is responsible for WP4 – Development of data dictionary.

 

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHS) – UK

NHSBT is a Special Health Authority in the NHS with responsibility for optimising the supply of blood, organs, plasma and tissues and raising the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of blood and transplant services.

NHSBT is responsible for:  

 

  • encouraging people to donate organs, blood and tissues
  • optimizing the safety and supply of blood, organs and tissues
  • helping to raise the quality, effectiveness and clinical outcomes of blood and transplant services
  • providing expert advice to other NHS organisations, the Department of Health and devolved administrations
  • providing advice and support to health services in other countries
  • commissioning and conducting research and development
  • implementing relevant EU statutory frameworks and guidance

 

 

 NHSBT is responsible for WP5 – Methods and legal and technical requirements.

 

 

 

Organizaciòn Nacional de Trasplantes (ONT) - Spain

ONT is an institution belonging to the Ministry of Health and Social Policy,  in charge to develop the competencies related with provision and clinical utilization of organs and tissues. To carry out these tasks, it functions as a technical operative unit that fulfils its mission of coordinating the activities of donation, recovery, preservation, distribution, exchange, and transplantation of organs and tissues throughout the whole Spanish Health Care System.

Core activities of the Organization:

  • Promotion and organization of all donation and transplantation activities;
  • Extra-hospital coordination of all multiorgan recovery procedures;
  • Elaboration of regulations and reports;
  • Promotion of Agreements and Consensus Reports; Provision of information on donation and transplantation activities and health related topics; Information to the general public;
  • Promotion and development of training courses; International Cooperation.

ONT is responsible for workpackage 6 – Safety Management.

 

Agence de la Biomédecine (ABM) – France

The Agence de la biomédecine was created by virtue of the Bioethics Law of August 6, 2004. It guarantees equity, ethics and transparency for the activities under its responsibility, and for anticipated developments.

The Agency is a public organisation under the supervision of the Minister of Health, operating in four key areas of human biology and medicine: (i) procurement and transplantation of organs, tissues and cells; (ii) assisted reproductive technologies; (iii) prenatal and genetic diagnosis; and (iv) embryo and stem cell research.

Among its numerous missions, the Agency is the Competent Authority, in coordination with Regional Authorities, for licensing and inspection of the procurement, processing, storage and distribution of reproductive cells for assisted conception. The agency is also in charge of the vigilance and surveillance of serious adverse reactions or events in the field of assisted reproduction.

ABM participates to the project activities, but does not lead any of the workpackages.

 


ScandiaTransplant

Scandiatransplant is a Nordic organ exchange organization and it covers a population of 24.5 million inhabitants in five countries, Denmark (5.4 million), Finland (5.2 million), Iceland (0.3 million), Norway (4.6 million), and Sweden (9.0 million). Scandiatransplant was founded in 1969 on the initiative of Nordic pioneers within the organ transplantation field. Today, Scandiatransplant includes a cooperation of all 12 Nordic transplant centers in addition to eight immunology laboratories.

According to the by-laws, the purpose of the Scandiatransplant association is fourfold:

(1) Scandiatransplant shall effect the exchange of organs and tissue between the participating transplant centers;

(2) It shall operate a database and communicate information from it;

(3) It shall contribute to promoting the provision of human organs and tissue for transplantation;

(4) It shall support scientific activities.

The members of the Scandiatransplant association are hospitals, each with an active program for organ transplantation. Iceland is now a fully member because they do kidney transplantations from living donors, having transplantations with organs from deceased organ donors done in one of the other Nordic countries.

The supreme authority is the Council of Representatives, where one or more professionals who must be clinically active in terms of organ transplantation represent each transplant center. The Board has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of Scandiatransplant. The Board has one member appointed by each of the five Nordic countries in addition to one chairman who is elected by the Council of Representatives. The office of Scandiatransplant is located at the University Hospital Skejby in Aarhus, Denmark.

Scandiatransplant participates to the project activities, but does not lead any of the workpackages.