Research
The DMG Registry exists to gather data that will lead to improvement, enabling more organs transplanted per donor and improved post-transplant graft survival. If you are conducting non-commercial research or analysis that aligns with our aims, learn how to request data.
Current uses of DMG data include:
- Quality improvement
- Comparative effectiveness research
- Hospital development
Learn about collaborations and read published research in the collaboration and publications section.
>20,000 donors and growing
Data from 25 OPOs
>400 donor demographic / critical care data points
Data requests by non-members must:
- adhere to the requirements of the DUA,
- be submitted through the contact form and must include a brief description of research in the completed Data Request Form,
- be approved by the DMG Advisory Group,
- reflect bona fide research/analysis as described in the submitted research plan.
Data requests by non-members must not be used for any commercial purpose that could have a negative impact on patient welfare, such as offering, denying, or allocating insurance; and adverse selection (e.g. identifying patients with high-risk diagnoses). Data will be released to requestor by UNOS if approved by DMG Advisory Group, and when payment received for de-identified patient-level DMG dataset invoice ($500).
For each study using these linked data, requestor must:
- obtain appropriate IRB review for the research study,
- be approved by the DMG Advisory Group,
- sign documentation and adhere to the requirements of the DUA,
- submit a brief description of their research by completing the Data Linkage Request Form
- submit request through the contact form.
Data will be released to requestor by UNOS if approved by DMG Advisory Group, and when payment received for the data linkage invoice ($500). Usage note: If DMG data is being linked to OPTN data, requestor is required to follow the OPTN patient-identified data process.
The donor critical care data elements included within the DMG Registry and de-identified research dataset are listed in the DMG data dictionary (Excel spreadsheet) and can be viewed on the About page.
DMG collaborations and publications
Collaboration: Machine Perfusion and Hypothermia Trial (2016-2022)
Collaboration: Mild Hypothermia Trial (2012-2019)
Therapeutic Hypothermia in Organ Donors: Follow-up and Safety Analysis. Transplantation, November 2019
Active Donor Management During the Hospital Phase of Care Is Associated with More Organs Transplanted per Donor. Journal of American College of Surgeons, October 2017
Deceased Organ Donor Management: Does Hospital Volume Matter? Journal of American College of Surgeons, March 2017
Patients on state organ donor registries receive similar levels of intensive care compared to those who are not: an opportunity to increase public intent to donate. Clinical Transplantation, June 2016
The Impact of Meeting Donor Management Goals on the Number of Organs Transplanted per Expanded Criteria Donor A Prospective Study From the UNOS Region 5 Donor Management Goals Workgroup. JAMA Surgery, September 2014
Determining optimal threshold for glucose control in organ donors after neurologic determination of death: a United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5 Donor Management Goals Workgroup prospective analysis. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, January 2014
The impact of meeting donor management goals on the number of organs transplanted per donor: results from the United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5 prospective donor management goals study. Critical Care Medicine, October 2012
Achieving Donor Management Goals Before Deceased Donor Procurement Is Associated With More Organs Transplanted Per Donor. The Journal of Trauma, October 2011
Related research: Optimization of donor management goals yields increased organ use. The American Surgeon, June 2010
Related research: Attaining specific donor management goals increases numbers of organs transplanted per donor: a quality improvement project. Progress in transplantation, 2009
Organ donor management goals and delayed graft function in adult kidney transplant recipients. Clinical Transplantation, November 2021
Vasopressor selection during critical care management of brain dead organ donors and the effects on kidney graft function. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, June 2020
Related research: Organ donor management and delayed graft function in kidney transplant recipients: A multicenter retrospective cohort study – American Journal of Transplantation, January 2019
Deceased organ donor factors influencing pancreatic graft transplantation and survival. Clinical Transplantation, June 2019
The impact of blood transfusions in deceased organ donors on the outcomes of 1,884 renal grafts from United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, October 2015
The Impact of Hydroxyethyl Starch Use in Deceased Organ Donors on the Development of Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Propensity-Adjusted Analysis. American Journal of Transplantation, August 2015.
Therapeutic Hypothermia in Deceased Organ Donors and Kidney-Graft Function. New England Journal of Medicine, July 2015
The impact of meeting donor management goals on the development of delayed graft function in kidney transplant recipients. American Journal of Transplantation, April 2013
Machine Learning Prediction of Liver Allograft Utilization From Deceased Organ Donors Using the National Donor Management Goals Registry. Transplantation Direct, September 2021
The role of deceased donor liver biopsy: An analysis of 5449 liver transplant recipients. Clinical Transplantation, May 2020
Impact of deceased organ donor demographics and critical care end points on liver transplantation and graft survival rates. Journal of American College of Surgeons, January 2015
Collaboration: Donor Heart Study (2014-2021)
Critical care and ventilatory management of deceased organ donors impact lung use and recipient graft survival. American Journal of Transplantation, December 2021
Impact of Deceased Donor Management on Donor Heart Use and Recipient Graft Survival. Journal of American College of Surgeons, September 2020