A History of the Paired Donation Network
The Paired Donation Network (PDN) began as a state-wide paired donation consortium that was founded by kidney transplant programs in Ohio. Representatives from these kidney transplant programs met and worked together for over a year before formally announcing the establishment of a paired donation program that provided computer-based matching. Patients were first registered for the program in January of 2004, and the first computer-based match run was conducted on April 4, 2004. This match run was the first computer match run conducted for paired donation in the United States. The first paired donation procedure was performed on November 9, 2004. The original founding transplant surgeons and physicians were members of the following kidney transplant programs:
- Case Western Reserve
- Cleveland Clinic
- University Hospital, Cincinnati
- The Christ Hospital
- Medical College of Ohio
- Ohio State University
- Miami Valley Hospital
- Summa Health System, Akron
- Children's Hospital of Cincinnati
In developing a consortium-based paired donation program, the founders realized that a major reason why very few paired donation programs have been developed is the substantial amount of work involved in creating a paired donation program. With this in mind, in developing the Paired Donation Consortium, the founders concomitantly developed a set of instruments (or, tools) that would save other transplant programs a substantial amount of work in bringing paired donation to their patients. This package of "tools" included: a web-based computer matching program, a detailed policy and procedure manual, patient educational brochures, informed consent forms, and an educational website.
As word of the Ohio paired donation program spread, a large number of kidney transplant programs expressed interest in offering paired donation to their patients. Subsequently, all kidney transplant programs in Michigan joined the Ohio program, andthe program was named "The Paired Donation Consortium",or the PDC for short. More recently, kidney transplant programs from several other states (Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin) have joined the PDC.
Another major step occurred when the kidney transplant programs in New Jersey collaborated under the sponsorship of the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network to form the second PDC-based regional paired donation consortium, the "New Jersey Paired Donation Consortium". Following formation of the New Jersey PDC, three additional regional PDC consortia have formed: the Southwest PDC, the Southeast PDC, and the Great Plains PDC
The Paired Donation Network at the Present Time
The PDN now includes over 80 kidney transplant programs in 23 states that are organized in five regional consortia. New programs enter the PDN weekly, increasing access for patients to paired donation programs across the United States.
The Future of the Paired Donation Network
The PDN will continue to provide paired donation support services for the foreseeable future. Considerable increases in funding are expected that will allow expansion of PDN services. In addition, PDC plans to continue to support paired donation programs internationally.
Paired Donation Network Mission Statement
The PDN is dedicated to making living donor kidney transplantation possible for all patients with renal failure.