臓器提供可能医療機関の院内コーディネーター状況調査報告

抄録

【Objective】 This study is an investigation of the In-House Transplant Coordinator (IHCO) position in Japanese hospitals.

【Methods】 In the spring of 2017, prefectural transplant coordinators were given a seven-item survey that focused on the following areas: number of IHCOs, variety of medical roles, license requirements, presence of an IHCO Committee, availability of training opportunities, and other topics of local interest.

【Results】 Surveys were obtained from 45 out of 47 Coordinators (95.7%). In 866 total hospitals, there were 2,690 IHCOs. From this number, 59.9% were nurses, 20.5% were doctors, and 16.9% came from other positions. Eighty-eight-point-six percent of the IHCOs were commissioned by either the prefectural government or a foundation. At most, specialized IHCO training was conducted twice per year in each prefecture.

【Conclusion】 In comparison with a similar survey conducted in 2008, the number of IHCO positions has increased. IHCOs play an important role in improving hospital administration, educating staff about organ procurement, and caring for donor candidates and their families. On the other hand, the IHCO role is an extra duty, not a primary job. If there are donor candidates to deal with, the position can become quite burdensome. These results suggest that improvements in education and qualification for the IHCO role are warranted. In addition, a system to better evaluate IHCO activities is needed to improve coverage by medical insurance.