Gift of Life Institute Helps Australians Increase Organ Donation Rates
Australia’s donation leaders determined that health professionals conducting Family Donation Conversations (FDCs) required support and specialized training to increase organ donation outcomes. The Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority called upon Gift of Life Institute to help create and implement a customized training program to influence change in FDC practice and culture.
Two (2) one-day pilot trainings were provided to 45 donation leaders in 2011 to test program suitability. Training was revised to more effectively achieve and sustain desired results. A comprehensive national training plan was implemented over 18 months. Twenty-six (26) two-day FDC training workshops were held in eight cities with 646 participants. Program evaluations and debriefings showed distinct shifts in perspectives and enthusiasm to implement new processes. In 2012-2013, an instructor program was developed to transition training facilitation.
As a result, a 22% increase in organ donation rates was achieved in the two years following FDC training (2011-2013).
Gift of Life Institute presented the results of this collaboration at the 2013 Organ Donation Congress in November 2013 in Sydney, Australia.
