Introduction: Although the Japanese Organ Transplant Act was revised in 2010 and brain-dead organ donation increased from 13 to 98 cases in a year, the number was still extremely smaller than other developed countries. In these circumstances, in-hospital procurement transplant coordinators (In-Hp PTC) may play great roles in increasing organ donation and making procurement procedure smooth. In-Hp PTCs in large cities can have multiple opportunities to receive education program concerning PTC, but In-Hp PTC in regional area cannot. In the present study, annual visiting educational programs for In-Hp PTCs held by the Japanese Society for Organ Preservation and Biology (JSOPB) is discussed.
Method: In 2014, the Organ Sharing Committee of JSOPB started the visiting education program of In-Hp PTC, where the annual meeting of JSOPB was held. The reginal JSOPB members and the regional prefectural PTC invited regional In-Hp PTCs to the program. The topics of lectures were history of organ/tissue transplantation in Japan and in the world, the current status of organ donation and transplantation in Japan, the social regulation of organ donation, overall procedures of organ donation (brain dead and donation after cardiac death), the role of In-Hp Co, donor family care, donor indications, and donor assessment and management. There was also simulation programs of organ donation processes in which every participant plays his/her special role, and group discussion programs of family care. The regional emergency physician or neurosurgeon give a lecture about his/her experience of decreased organ donation.
Results: The visiting education programs of In-Hp PTC were held 7 times between 2014 and 2022 (Tokyo in 2, Osaka in 2 and the other region in 3). 244 participants attended the program. Occupations of the participants were nurses (61%), physicians (19%), officers (19%), prefectural PTCs (16%) and tissue transplant Cos (10%). Regards to opinion survey of participants after the program, most of participants were satisfied with the program, topics and duration. Although most hospitals in which the participants were working, had little experiences of deceased organ donations prior to attending the education program, many participants are now working as main In-Hp PTCs and establishing their own organ donation system in their hospital.
Conclusions: To establish organ procurement system and increase organ donation, In-Hp PTCs should play great roles in Japan. However, none was a full-time In-Hp PTCs and most In-Hp PTCs required more professional education. This program may help to establish systematic education program in regional area in Japan.