Interference of the Human Factor in the Efficiency of Paraná’s Transplant System

Abstract

Through the decade (2011–2020) that Paraná’s model of organ donation was developed, the state reached potential donor identification rate above 100 per million population (pmp), 100% higher than the Brazilian average, reaching a rate of actual donors (47.7 pmp) 162% higher than national rate. It surpassed all Latin America countries, the United States, Canada, and most of European countries, in an equal competition with Spain (49.9 pmp) and Croatia (41.2 pmp). Analyzing the ratio of potential donors identified based in hospital deaths, Paraná surpassed in 34% the expected ratio preconized by the Spanish model. Immersed in a universal public health system, we found that either different rates of social development – quantified using Municipal Human Development Index – or hospital beds are solely responsible for the results achieved in the period. We demonstrate that the work interaction between the Organ Procurement Organizations and Intra-Hospital Committee on Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplants – a human factor – was responsible for these results.