ABSTRACT
Purpose One of the most significant challenges to establishing or maintaining a viable transplant program that utilizes the TransMedics Organ Care System (OCS) (TransMedics, Andover, MA) is ensuring adequate staffing resources. There is no published literature on which health professionals should primarily operate OCS platforms. Therefore, a valid survey is needed to document the current workforce involvement and anticipate the future demands of this evolving technology. Methods As of July 2020, 35 institutions in the United States had active OCS capabilities. A web-based survey presented 38 different survey questions covering general topics about staffing, compensation structure, institutions' challenges, the impact of COVID-19, and specific questions to each platform. This survey aims to present the healthcare community with an accurate workforce representation of the professionals who primarily operate the OCS platforms. Results Of the 35 OCS institutions, 100% responded to the survey. 52 OCS platforms are utilized, including heart (n=19), liver (n=17), and lung (n=16). 37.1% operate multiple platforms. Institutions had 2 to 25 total OCS-trained staff with a median of 10 trained staff. Across all platforms, perfusionists and doctors were the most common primary operators (Fig 1). Challenges to adequately staffing OCS transports (Fig 2,3) included the reluctance of staff to participate (65.7%), administrative or financial hurdles (60%), and insufficient staffing (57.1%). Major reasons for staff reluctance to participate in OCS transports (Fig 2) included lack of incentive (39.1%) and transport duration (47.8%). 45.7% of institutions offered additional compensation for OCS operators going out on a run. Conclusion This survey provides vital statistics of current staffing models and highlights limitations. As this revolutionary technology continues to transform transplantation, these findings should guide institutions in preparing rational plans to address the workforce's future needs.