DISCLAIMER
This section’s content is intended primarily for health professionals and managers and administrators of healthcare institutions and social services agencies delivering general and specialized care (critical and emergency care). Transplant Québec shall not be held accountable for any interpretation of this content by a non-specialist reader.
This section was developed for health professionals seeking specific information on the organ donation process. It was drafted in keeping with the standard organ donation procedure (Procédure type pour le don d’organes) published by Quebec’s association of health and social services institutions (Association québécoise d’établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS)) in April 2012, and was developed under the guidance of Transplant Québec in conjunction with the province’s association of medical, dental and pharmacist councils (Association des conseils des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens du Québec (ACMDP)), AQESSS and other healthcare industry stakeholders.
Standard organ donation procedure
This procedure was developed to:
- Support directors of professional services in carrying out organ donation at their institution
- Support professionals who play a role in the organ donation and transplantation chain—ICU, ER, surgery department, etc.
- Promote organ donation activities at institutions by fostering improved identification and more systematic referrals of potential organ donors
Standardized Organ Donation Procedure, with a liaison / resource assigned nurse
Poster
Entire document (French version only)
Standardized Organ Donation Procedure, without a liaison / resource assigned nurse
Poster
Entire document (French version only)
Organ donation saves lives
Transplants are an effective, medically recognized treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure.
The standard organ donation procedure aligns perfectly with the provisions of article 200 of An Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services (RSQ, c S-4.2):
“200. In a case of imminent or recent death of a potential organ or tissue donor, the medical and professional services director of an institution, or the person designated by that director, must diligently notify one of the organizations that coordinate organ or tissue donations and that are designated by the Minister in accordance with section 10.3.4 of the Act respecting the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (chapter M-19.2).
The medical and professional services director verifies the following elements with the organization and may, for that purpose, send the organization any necessary information concerning the potential donor:
(1) the person’s eligibility for organ or tissue donation; and
(2) whether the potential donor’s consent for the post-mortem removal of organs or tissues is recorded in the consent registry established by the Ordre des notaires du Québec and in the national information filing system established under section 76.
Where consent has been given for organ or tissue donation, the medical and professional services director also sends such an organization any information concerning the potential donor and that is necessary for coordinating such a donation.
The medical and professional services director, or the person that director designates, is informed of the imminent or recent death of a potential organ or tissue donor in accordance with the procedure established by the institution.”
This article obligates the director of professional services of an institution operating a general and specialized hospital to diligently refer all potential organ and tissue donors to Transplant Québec and/or to Héma-Québec so that they can verify whether or not the patient’s name appears in Quebec’s two official consent registries.