University Health and TOSA Collaborate to Implement InVita's iReferral System to Enhance Donor Referrals

Modernization in Organ Donation: InVita's iReferral Implementation

In a significant advancement towards improving organ donation processes, University Health has teamed up with the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) to launch the iReferral® system, developed by InVita Healthcare Technologies. This initiative, unveiled at University Hospital, aims to revolutionize how potential organ donors are identified and referred for transplantation—a timely advancement considering the growing need for life-saving organ transplants across the nation.

The Urgency of Improved Donor Referrals

With over 100,000 individuals currently on the national transplant waiting list and an alarming statistic of about 13 to 17 people dying every day due to the lack of available organs, the need for timely and effective donor referrals is more crucial than ever. Traditionally, hospitals have relied on cumbersome, manual processes to notify organ procurement organizations (OPOs) of potential donors. This method often delays critical actions and can lead to missed opportunities to save lives.

In response, the introduction of iReferral promises to streamline and automate this crucial step. By replacing outdated phone calls with a secure and automated electronic communication system, iReferral integrates with the existing electronic health record (EHR) systems to identify potential organ donors quickly and efficiently.

A Technological Leap Forward

The iReferral system utilizes established clinical criteria to flag potential organ donor opportunities as they arise. When potential donor criteria are met, the system automatically sends this information to TOSA through InVita's iTransplant® platform. This technology not only enhances the speed of the notifications but also reduces the workload of healthcare professionals who can then focus more on patient care rather than manual reporting duties. Hospitals that have adopted iReferral have already seen a reduction in referral time, saving clinicians significant hours that would have otherwise gone to making calls.

Erica Zuniga, the executive director for Transplant and Donation Services at University Health, emphasizes the importance of this new technology, stating, "Our goal is to honor and fulfill a donor's stated wish to provide others the opportunity for transplantation. This technology enables our healthcare teams to do that by quickly identifying and communicating potential donor information."

Compliance and Improvement in Healthcare

Moreover, iReferral adheres to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations, which require hospitals to notify their designated OPOs about every potential donor. By embedding alerts directly into University Health's EHR workflows, iReferral ensures compliance while also enhancing the efficiency of referrals. Hospitals employing this system have been able to reduce the referral time by an average of 10 to 20 minutes per case. This surplus time adds up to what amounts to more than 10,000 hours saved for nursing staff, translating to less phone time and more hands-on patient care.

Dr. Joe Nespral, CEO of TOSA, voiced his support for these advancements, noting, "Technology like iReferral helps ensure that no opportunity for donation is missed. By integrating donor referral directly into the hospital's electronic health record, University Health is helping create a smarter, faster system that ultimately gives more patients the chance at lifesaving transplantation."

A Promise of Lives Saved

The iReferral system has been successfully implemented in many hospitals nationwide, leading to significant increases in donor referrals, organs recovered, and ultimately, lives saved through transplantation. Wade Liu, President of Human Biologics at InVita Healthcare Technologies, articulated the mission of this innovation, stating, "With each implementation, we move closer to ensuring more families can ultimately benefit from lifesaving transplantation."

The partnership between University Health and TOSA is not just a step forward for their services but a leap towards improving healthcare outcomes through technology and collaboration. As this system gets utilized across Central and South Texas, it brings hope to many families waiting for life-changing organ transplants. The future of organ donation is brighter with the advancements brought about by iReferral.