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OPTN to launch new member focused improvement initiative in 2022

Published on: Thursday, January 20, 2022

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is set to launch a new quality and performance improvement (QAPI) initiative in 2022, focused on coaching through individual member support.

Currently in its pilot phase, OPTN Individual Member Focused Improvement (IMFI) will offer member organizations the opportunity to develop customized projects to meet specific goals and improve donation and transplant. A core team of OPTN Contractor staff who regularly work with members to support quality and performance will manage the IMFI project portfolio.

The IMFI initiative is entering its final year of a three-year discovery and design phase. The first of three pilots concluded in summer of 2021.

First IMFI pilot focused on kidney waitlist management

The first pilot participant, a kidney transplant program, had a broad goal to increase access to kidney transplant among their patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). With that overall aim in mind, the IMFI project team worked with the OPTN member to identify three focused and achievable goals:

  • Improving kidney waitlist management
  • Making referral processes more efficient
  • Increasing deceased donor offer acceptances

To support the member in reaching their goals, the IMFI project team trained hospital staff on the OPTN’s kidney waitlist management tool and other relevant data reports. The member also received extensive QAPI support tailored to their program’s specific needs.

Because IMFI is an individually focused approach to improvement, every member’s project will involve a unique goal or goals. This pilot participant’s project and the support they received is not indicative of what every member organization will experience if they participate in future IMFI projects.

Additional pilot projects underway before 2022 launch

Two other pilot projects currently in process involve different goals and improvement journeys customized for the member organizations’ unique needs. The health and safety of program participants is our top priority during COVID-19, and all work will be conducted virtually. The IMFI project team are continuing to test the customized QAPI services they can offer OPTN members, and determining the IMFI team’s organizational capacity.

The OPTN aims to launch the initiative to the entire OPTN member community in the second half of 2022. More details will be shared on this website as they become available.

What can my member organization expect from an IMFI engagement?

You can expect:

  • A project plan designed around your organization’s specific improvement goal.
  • Direct and open collaboration with the IMFI project team, which includes both UNOS staff and peers in the transplant community.
  • A customized engagement. Each IMFI project is unique and will be designed in collaboration with the individual program.

The scope of each project will be tailored to each member organization, and the services provided will vary according to need.

In order to participate in an IMFI engagement, your member program or organization must commit to and sign a mutually agreed upon project charter.

I’m a member. How can I learn more about IMFI?

OPTN members must go through an intake process in order to assess and develop the scope of their project.

Currently, members interested in finding out more about IMFI can contact us at MQFeedback@unos.org. The IMFI team will then share more details about how to start an improvement journey with the OPTN.

OPTN is an improvement partner

IMFI supports the OPTN’s role as an improvement partner to all members. The OPTN regularly develops new models for improving member performance through innovative structures like IMFI, including collaborative improvement projects that are on a larger scale.

The OPTN offers these opportunities to members seeking to improve performance based on the goals of the OPTN as outlined in the strategic plan, as well as to members in need of performance improvement as specified in the OPTN bylaws and policies and requirements of the OPTN Final Rule.

Questions?

Please contact MQFeedback@unos.org with the subject line “IMFI.”