Investigating the effect of interventions to increase the number of organ donations in brain deaths during the years 2016-18 in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Persian Possible Donor Detection Program (PPDDP) to increase the the number of organ donations in brain deaths .

In this quasi-experimental study conducted at Mashhad University for three years from 2016 to 2019, the PPDDP model communicated by the Ministry of Health were performed by the experts in 4-hour courses for all transplant authorities in Khorasan province (About 1000 people) with the goals of patient identification training , proper brain death care, promotion of organ donation culture to increase satisfaction, increase motivation in related teams, increase survival of recipient patients and familiarity with diagnosis, Confirmation and care of brain death and the number of organ donations before and after the educational intervention was evaluated.

The number of brain deaths proper for transplantation increased from 96 cases in 2016 to 182 cases in 2019 and the number of transplants increased from 56 cases in 2016 to 123 cases in 2019 so that there was 11% increase with statistically significant difference (p = 0.04). The PMP index (the number of organ donor brain deaths per million people) also increased from 12 in 2016 to 20 at the end of 2019.

Conducting training courses and sensitizing the therapists team and gaining support from the authorities can enhance the effectiveness of interventions.