Precision. Speed. Impact: How IIAM’s eReferral System Powers Lifesaving Research
Just like with organ donation for transplants, time is everything when it comes to organ donation for medical research. Researchers rely on receiving organs and tissues as quickly as possible—because the faster they arrive, the more viable they are for groundbreaking work that could lead to new treatments and cures.
But speed isn’t the only factor. Matching the right organ to the right researcher is just as critical. Each research team IIAM supports has specific medical criteria based on the disease or condition they’re studying. Some may need organs from healthy donors, while others are focused on diseased organs to better understand a particular pathology. Getting that match right is nearly as complex—and just as important—as matching organs for transplant.
To meet this challenge, IIAM leverages proprietary technology through its eReferral and Electronic Screening system. In fact, 93% of all organ donor referrals are made through the eReferral system! This innovative platform allows our partners at Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to submit donor medical data electronically, streamlining the entire process. By submitting digitally, the OPOs save valuable time compared to calling in referrals. Further, it provides the necessary information that allows IIAM’s skilled Organ Placement Coordinators to digitally access critical donor information ensuring the organs are matched to the right researcher. In turn, the offers are made to researchers in less time, easing the burden on all parties and maintaining the highest viability of the precious donor gifts. This secured electronic system starts with the eReferral increases the protection of personal data.
Instead of sorting through paper or phone calls, researchers now receive de-identified critical information in real time. That data helps them determine—often in 15 minutes or less—whether an organ meets their exact research criteria.
“With IIAM’s eReferral system, we are receiving important decision-making data that can immediately be shared with a medical researcher. In order to maximize the gift, this researcher must decide, based on this data, whether or not the organ meets their research needs in 15 minutes or less. Only the rapid receipt and transmission of a large amount of data in a secure manner allows this.”
– Gina Dunne Smith, Executive Director at IIAM.
The eReferral system is one more way IIAM is honoring the extraordinary generosity of organ donors and their families—while accelerating research that could change lives around the world.