Better matching for people on the organ transplant waitlist

Saving and improving the lives of more Australians waiting for an organ transplant is the ultimate goal of Organ Match. This Australian state-of-the-art organ donor and recipient matching system was first launched in 2019 by the Organ and Tissue Authority.

For the 1,800 Australians currently on the transplant waitlist, and another 14,000 on dialysis who have kidney failure, an organ transplant is a life-changing and often lifesaving treatment.

OrganMatch has modernised and streamlined the process for organ waitlisting, matching and offering, better outcomes for patients. It uses world-class technology, enabling clinicians to share time-critical information.

The system supports prioritising difficult-to-match patients, young people and those who are critically unwell and urgently need a lifesaving transplant. Continued improvements mean the system can now facilitate the best organ matches for patients across Australia. 
 

A DonateLife staff member prepares an organ for transplantation.

Image: The Organ and Tissue Authority

Working together  

The Organ and Tissue Authority works in partnership with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood which delivers and manages OrganMatch.

Lifeblood engages information technology service provider Datacom for OrganMatch. Datacom developed the secure system that supports best practice processes and outcomes for clinicians and patients.

The OrganMatch system is a valuable example of collaboration. In this case collaboration occurred between state and territory governments, the DonateLife network, transplant units and hospitals, all working with commercial entities to deliver a world-class system for Australians.

Benefits for the community

For those seriously ill with organ failure, receiving an organ transplant may mean the difference between life and death.

The time required to match donors and recipients has significantly decreased since the recent improvements to the kidney allocation algorithm in OrganMatch have been implemented.

Saving more lives through OrganMatch would not be possible without the generosity of organ donors and their families.

For organ recipients such as Kristy, receiving a kidney transplant has been transformative:

Organ donation is truly life-changing. I’ve been able to travel overseas, as well as spend time with my partner, my mum and my 2 sisters – and I have 2 beautiful children. I think about my donor and their family every day and I want to say thank you.

Kristy received a life-saving kidney transplant.

Image: The Organ and Tissue Authority

Find out more

Australian Government (n.d.) OrganMatch, DonateLife website, accessed 12 September 2024.