title: Modification of the education system for organ procurement coordinators in Japan after the revision of the Japanese Organ Transplantation Act.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From October 1997 to July 2010, only 86 brain-dead (BD) organ donations were obtained and no organs were retrieved from children under 15 years of age because of the strict Japan Organ Transplantation Act. The Act was revised on July 17, 2010, allowing organs to be donated after BD with family consent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To manage the increased donations after the revision, the Japan Organ Transplant Network (JOT) employed 10 organ procurement coordinators (OPCs) and modified its education systems. We retrospectively reviewed the modified education programs to evaluate whether they were effective and whether the processes of organ donation were promptly performed after the revision of the Act.
  
  
  METHODS
  The modifications of education program were: changing OPC to guideline manuals to correspond to the revised Transplant Act; OPCs were taught the new organ procurement system; and a special education program was provided for the 10 newcomers for 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 months of the revision, 58 BD organ donations were accomplished, whereas they had averaged 6.6 in a year before the revision. Two pediatric BD organ donations were accomplished without problem. One priority organ donation to a relative was performed uneventfully. After applying the modified education program, skilled JOT OPCs and leader JOT OPCs increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To manage increased organ donations after the revision of the Act, the educational system was modified and 58 brain dead organ donations were performed safely.
authors.affiliation: Japan Organ Transplant Network, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konaka
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashikari
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukushima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D033161:Government Regulation; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007318:Inservice Training; D007564:Japan; D007882:Legislation, Hospital; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000193:education* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data