Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Project – Final Report

Key findings

The key findings show a variation in how states and territories capture data and apply costing guidelines leading to:

• inaccurate cost reimbursement for hospitals and healthcare services
• inadequate capture and funding of retrievals that do not proceed to transplant
• funding models that underfund or double count services
• lack of visibility of inefficiencies and cost drivers
• inefficient resource and workforce allocation.

Recommendations

The final report has identified 15 recommendations for IHACPA, governments and key agencies to consider. 

These seek to address gaps in the complexity of data collection, reporting, costing and funding of organ and tissue donation and transplantation infrastructure in Australia. 

The recommendations aim to: 

• increase equitable access to transplantation across Australia
• improve the volume and quality of data captured to better inform future funding models and resource allocation
• reduce inconsistencies in how services are costed and priced
• improve reimbursement for hospitals and service providers
• improve efficiencies within services to reduce resource and workforce burden.

Our engagement

As part of this project, we considered insights from Australian Government agencies, hospital transplant units and business managers, clinicians, and peak bodies. 

The final report’s 15 recommendations are based on:

• extensive literature and desktop reviews
• activity and cost data analysis
• consultation with more than 450 stakeholders.

IHACPA will consider the report’s recommendations as part of the next steps of this project.