The influence of Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) training program in organ and tissue donation and transplantation

Gloria Paez², Tyler R. Harrison¹, Melania G. Istrate², Susan E. Morgan¹, Maria Paula Gomez², Quan Zhou¹, Ricard Valero^2,3, Marti Manyalich^2,3

¹Brian Lamb School of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States, ²TPM-DTI Foundation, Barcelona, Spain, ³Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Background: Training on organ donation/ transplantation (D&T) is relevant for transplantation improvement [1]. TPM has been providing training on organ D&T [2-3] in compliance with the agreed professional requirements.

Methods: Considering that micro level change practices can have macro level influences, a survey was developed assessing the impact of training on development of policies, practice, career choices, leadership, and knowledge dissemination. Thus a new type of evaluation was designed focusing on how different groups perceive training benefits. It was translated into five languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese). Individuals who participated in TPM training courses were sent a recruitment letter and link to an online survey. Additionally, links were posted on Facebook and handed out at organ donation meetings and congresses. Potential participants and key individuals were asked to forward the link to individuals active in D&T. Respondents were required to rate on a scale of 1 - 5 (1- no influence and 5- a great deal of influence) the influence of trainings on 12 items to answer the following Research question: What is the perceived influence of specialized training programs on career, collaboration, and skills in D&T?. Institutional review boards at the University of Barcelona and Purdue University (USA) approved the study.

Results: 1102 participants agreed to take the survey, 87% reported participating in a TPM course, out of which 95% selected TPM courses as most influential. Specifically, 98% reported influence on knowledge [score 4.45/5], 93% on technical [4.15] and communication [4.14] skills, 89% on attitude toward D&T [4.08], 92% on motivation to work [4.23], 91% on  desire to innovate [3.98], 87% and 79% on ability to change D&T practices [3.85] and policies [3.51], respectively.

Conclusion: Participation in TPM training courses has positive perceived benefits.