Scientific Studies Committee

Current and Recent Committee Activities

1) The committee is moving forward with an analysis of financial implications of the Medicare regulations with a preliminary focus on expenses related to Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), donor advocates, increase in personnel and frequency of Medicare surveys

2) DonorNet follow-up: The Committee is working to develop a follow-up survey for DonorNet with regard to increasing efficiencies and expedite earlier turndowns from institutions. The new survey will address the feasibility of a tiered system

3) The committee has interest in initiating a study to identify recommendations on how post transplantation outcome data for HCC

4) ASTS DonorNet Survey: The transplant community has recently undergone a transition in the process by which organ offers are communicated from the OPO to the transplant centers.  The committee has organized a brief survey to gather feedback on DonorNet and its impact on your individual program. 

5) On September 10-11, 2007 the Committee held a Combined Kidney/Liver consensus conference that was held in Chicago, IL.

6) On March 7-8, 2006, the ASTS organized a consensus conference on retransplantation in Atlanta, GA. The conference was co-sponsored by the AST and NIAID and directed by Drs. Giacomo Basadonna (former Scientific Studies Committee Chair) and Maryl Johnson. The purpose of the conference was to review the current status of retransplantation, to evaluate data available concerning predictors of outcome following retransplantation, to define factors and additional data needed to improve outcomes with retransplantation and to ultimately write a document containing the proceedings of the conference to include recommendations for further basic and clinical research which are required to advance the field of retransplantation.

Mission Statement, Committee Members