Exploration of Profession Experience Among In-Hospital Organ Procurement Coordinators in China: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The gap between the supply and demand of organs is continuously increasing. The emergence of organ procurement coordinators (OPCs), to a certain extent, has decreased the gap. In China, a majority of OPCs work in hospitals that are qualified for transplants, namely in-hospital OPCs (Ih-OPCs). Their profession experiences are closely related to donation rates and indirectly reveal aspects that should be further improved. However, no data are available in China. We sought to explore Ih-OPCs' subjective feeling of the practice experience and provide targeted interventions for administrators. A project team was established and then interview outlines were listed by virtue of discussion and literature review. Furthermore, a total of 13 Ih-OPCs were selected as participants for interview. After that, the conversation was analyzed and encoded, and themes were finally identified according to phenomenology. A total of 3 themes including positive emotions, negative emotions, and personal needs were identified, which were furthermore divided into 7 minor themes ranging from professional identity, competence improvement, recruitment methods, quality of life, workload evaluation, career prospects, and training courses. Social support and public understanding play a pivotal role in strengthening positive emotions. Meanwhile, the administrators should put more emphasis on negative emotions and personal needs, and management system should be further optimized.