ETCO-EDC is the section of the European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) dedicated to all aspects of deceased and living donation, clinical coordination and procurement. ETCO-EDC was created in September 2011 as a result of the merge between the European Transplant Coordinators Organization (ETCO) and the European Donation Committee (EDC) with the objective of creating a strong, visible and active section focused on an area that had been separately addressed by the two organizations over the last years.
ETCO-EDC aims to support health care professionals to provide clinically effective programmes on organ and tissue donation, procurement and transplantation. In particular, ETCO-EDC intends to contribute to:
- Increasing organ and tissue availability;
- Ensuring high quality and safety of organs and tissues intended for transplantation;
- Optimizing the safety of living donors and care for deceased donors and their relatives;
- Optimizing potential recipient care and follow-up, from the perspective of clinical coordination.
These specific objectives are to be achieved through supporting and promoting all those professionals involved in the process of organ and tissue donation, clinical coordination and procurement and through helping to establish high professional standards in the field.
ETCO-EDC serves all those professionals who are directly involved or who have an interest in deceased and living organ and tissue donation, clinical coordination and procurement activities. Target groups include transplant coordinators— in the wider sense of the function with their different roles and responsibilities, such as deceased donation, living donation and recipient clinical coordination, pre and post transplantation—, procurement professionals, and related professionals groups.
ETCO-EDC offers several educational and training activities within its area of expertise and knowledge, including the organization of the European Organ Donation Congress, held every two years and periodical workshops on topics critical for the daily practice of professionals involved in donation and procurement activities. ETCO-EDC has contributed to the development of the Certification for European Transplant Coordinators (CETC) under the auspices of the UEMS, with the aim of harmonizing professional standards in the field at the European level.
