The Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation, MedSleuth Partner to Increase Access to Kidney Transplants

Organizations combine two of the nation's leading paired donation software platforms, creating more opportunities to match living kidney donors to patients in need of a transplant

SAN FRANCISCO and TOLEDO, Ohio, July 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD), a global leader in paired kidney donation, and transplant software company MedSleuth announced today a U.S. partnership launched to increase access to lifesaving kidney transplants. The organizations have consolidated their two paired kidney donation software platforms into one program called Kidney Matchgrid, significantly expanding the pool for matching living kidney donors with transplant candidates nationwide.

Today in the U.S., family, friends and other loved ones may offer the gift of living kidney donation to a person in need of a kidney transplant. While these willing donors are not always compatible with their intended recipient, this incompatibility doesn't have to mean the end of their journey. A process called paired donation allows incompatible donor-recipient pairs to be matched to each other. Paired donation can result in a kidney exchange, in which two incompatible donor-recipient pairs are matched to each other, or a kidney chain, in which a willing donor gives a kidney to a stranger and starts a domino effect of kidney donations.

Before launching the new collaboration, MedSleuth and APKD operated independently to provide paired donation services and software to match living kidney donors with recipients. APKD focused on kidney exchanges between transplant centers, while MedSleuth focused on kidney exchanges within a single transplant center that was supported by software to improve living donor intake. With this new partnership, transplant centers now have access to a larger pool of patient data from which they can choose between internal, regional or national kidney exchanges.

As a result, Kidney Matchgrid, a HIPAA-compliant, SOC 2 Type II certified software powered by a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm, better enables transplant centers to deliver both process efficiency and access to more transplants for their hard-to-match transplant candidates and living kidney donors.

"This partnership is an example of what can be achieved when organizations combine their strengths to better serve patients and medical teams across the transplant community," said Dr. Michael A. Rees, transplant surgeon and CEO of APKD. "Bringing together the transparent APKD matching process and the straightforward business practices of MedSleuth puts transplant centers first, giving them tools to make the best choices for the patients they serve."

Transplant centers working with APKD and MedSleuth will upload information about their donor-recipient pairs and non-directed living donors to Kidney Matchgrid, from which transplant centers and APKD will perform match runs as frequently as desired. MedSleuth will support the partnership by overseeing the sales and marketing of Kidney Matchgrid for all participating transplant centers, allowing APKD to focus on helping transplant centers deliver kidney exchange and first-rate care to the living donors who make kidney exchange possible.

"This partnership enables us to channel our energy into delivering exceptional customer service and outcomes for transplant centers from the first contact and continuing with every match run coordinated by our partners at APKD," said Ben Nightingale, COO of MedSleuth. "We look forward to working with transplant centers nationwide to further living donor transplant effectiveness and save more lives."

In addition to Kidney Matchgrid, the expanded transplant center network will continue receiving access to services and software provided independently by MedSleuth and APKD.

APKD's best-in-class support services include concierge-level support for transplant coordinators, donor and recipient protection programs offering lost wage and travel reimbursements, and the APKD KidneyPledge™, which gives priority for chain-ending kidneys to non-directed donors and their family members should they need a kidney transplant in the future. MedSleuth will continue offering transplant centers its BREEZE software to simplify living donor intake, as well as solutions that streamline the transplant process from recipient evaluation through the donor and recipient follow up.

More information about Kidney Matchgrid and the associated transplant center, patient and donor support services provided by the new partnership is available through APKD at paireddonation.org and MedSleuth at medsleuth.com.

About the Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation
The Alliance for Paired Kidney Donation (APKD) is a 501c3 with global reach that manages a kidney registry powered by a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm. APKD revolutionized kidney donation by performing the world's first non-simultaneous altruistic donor chain and the first international chain. APKD's commitment to innovation, research, education, technology and generosity allows it to fulfill its mission of saving lives by securing a living donor kidney transplant for every patient who needs one.

About MedSleuth 
MedSleuth seeks to expand access to transplantation by streamlining the transplant process. In addition to kidney paired donation, our BREEZE software platform simplifies candidate evaluation, optimizes waitlist management, and facilitates transplantation, with a focus on living donation. The patented, clinically validated platform collects relevant clinical and demographic data remotely, aiding participating transplant centers in their operations. For more information, visit medsleuth.com.

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SOURCE MedSleuth