For transplant and research organization LifeNet Health, the need to improve the telephone authorization rate is paramount to ensuring tissues are available for transplantation. The Donor Authorization Center previously was utilizing an outside agency and actors to role-play consent. LifeNet Health initiated an internal authorization training that included the Donor Center team, and more than 50 members from other departments such as HR, Quality, Tissue Recovery, and Education to participate as role-play members in this new learning program.
The goal was to maximize operational efficiency by developing an in-house donor authorization training program that increases the consent rate for donation by 2 percent and reduces the cost of delivery by 5 percent.
Program Details
Donor Center management brainstormed ideas for creating a more successful and cost-effective program. The idea to bring the training “in-house” was at the top of the team’s wish list. The full-day training included a morning session where concepts were introduced and tips for overcoming obstacles were shared. The afternoon session was hands-on with coordinators making mock telephone approaches. The center used employees from other departments as family role-players. Additionally, the training was broken into two phases: a fundamentals class for those new to consenting and a master’s class for those who are already consenting.
Utilizing LifeNet Health employees who are already familiar with the process and have had experience meeting and learning from donor families allowed this program to eliminate training time of actors and increase awareness of the operating function of the Donor Center among other divisions within the organization.
Training reinforcement includes monthly authorization rate meetings with coordinators that encourage journaling and other strategies to drive improvement. A Voices of Hope Board was created to highlight those consenters with high authorization rates. LifeNet Health also added another department trainer to focus on authorization training as a full-time position.
Results
Departmental authorization rates increased from 44.3 percent in 2016 and 47 percent in 2017 to 54 percent in 2018. The first quarter of 2019 ended with a departmental authorization rate of 55 percent, including one month where the rate was 61 percent. The percentage of coordinators meeting or exceeding goal was 41 percent in 2017, 47 percent in 2018, and 71 percent in the beginning 2019.
LifeNet Health also has seen a significant cost savings per session since bringing the program in-house.
