New Lung Allocation Proposal Discussion April 24th

[RadChevy]

Transplant Support - Lung, Heart/Lung, Heart http://groups.msn.com/TransplantSupportLungHeartLungHeartTransplant Support will have special chat sessions to discuss the proposed LUNG ALLOCATION CHANGES that are coming up in May. Your comments are taken seriously by UNOS. Their is a venue to post your comments about the changes and also the full 28 page document can be viewed and printed. http://www.unos.org/policiesAndBylaws/publicComment/proposalsCurrent.asp?pro%20pID=14 1 Allocation of Lungs: Proposed Amended OPTN/UNOS Policy 3.7.6(Status of Patients Awaiting Lung Transplantation), Policy 3.7.9 (TimeWaiting for Thoracic Organ Candidates), Policy 3.7.9.2 (Waiting TimeAccrual for Lung Candidates with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)),and Policy 3.7.11 (Allocation of Lungs) The OPTN/UNOS Thoracic Organtransplantation Committee proposes a new system for allocating lungs thatuses lung transplant candidates’ waitlist medical urgency and transplantbenefit to determine priority for lung offers. The proposed system wouldassign priority to lung candidates who are at higher risk of death ifthey do not receive a transplant (waitlist urgency) and who are likely toreceive a greater benefit of longer lifetime with a transplant ascompared to without a transplant(transplant benefit). This proposal would replace the current system thatassigns priority to lung transplant candidates based solely on the amountof time they have accrued on the lung waitlist. The Committee Predictsthat these changes to the lung allocation system would direct lungs tothose candidates who are most urgently in need of a lung transplant andwho are expected to receive the greatest survival benefit from thetransplant. The proposal includes provisions for updating transplantcandidates’ clinical status, regular periodic review and improvement ofthe algorith. ** It is an interesting read, but I warn you, that ittakes a few times to understand it all. Be sure to jot down notes,thoughts, ideas, and ways in which you feel the proposed system might bebetter, or if you think it sounds like a great proposal. Then submit yourideas at the web site by clicking on COMMENT FORM. The two chat sessions I have planned, thus far are forSaturday, April 24th, 8-9:30pm ESTThursday, April 29th, 8-9:30pm EST I will get more dates for early May, as the COMMENT FORM must besubmitted by May 9th!!!!!!! Come to the chat, and we can discuss the changes, maybe come up with newideas of how it might work better, and basically try to figure it out....at chat Friday night we discussed it and it was interesting to get theviews and thoughts we had and try to learn from one another..... The web site I have is easy to get to, the address is below. It is FREEto be a member. Just takes a few minutes. Click on JOIN NOW, or JOINHERE, on the home page and it will take you through the process. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT CHAT, AND SOME SHARING OF IDEAS. Transplant Support - Lung, Heart/Lung, Hearthttp://groups.msn.com/TransplantSupportLungHeartLungHeart 2ND WINDERS,There is much interest, confusion and pre and post lung tx folks todiscuss the changes that are proposed in the allocation of lungs. At Transplant Support we will have "topic discussion" evenings of chatabout the issue.Saturday, April 24 8:00pm EST till 9:30pmThursday, April 29 8:00pm EST till 9:30pm As the chat room is always open and we have nightly chats starting at8:00pm EST this topic can be discussed any evening, when we do not haveanother scheduled topic chat. But feel free to discuss any transplanttopic in the chat room before and after a special topic chat. Any questions, please feel free to email me.Joanne Joanne M. SchumCystic FibrosisBi-lateral Lung Transplant RecipientSeptember 12, 1997University of North Carolina Hospitals Chapel HillResidence: Upstate New Yorkemail: luckylungsforjo@aol.comManager of: Transplant Support - Lung, Heart/Lung, Hearthttp://groups.msn.com/TransplantSupportLungHeartLungHeart"Taking Flight - Inspirational Stories of Lung Transplantation" Compiled by Joanne SchumAuthored by lung recipients around the worldhttp://www.trafford.com/robots/02-0497.htmlhttp://www.trafford.com/