Type of Project: Funded project Model project
Organ – Participation counselling for living donors

Every year, around 9,000 people in Germany need an organ donation, around 900 of whom live in Lower Saxony. Many more people need a tissue donation, such as corneas or bones. However, the prospect of receiving an organ is low, as only 3,000 organs are transplanted post-mortem and 500 organs are transplanted from living donors. Many transplantable tissues can only be donated post-mortem. People who are interested in living organ donation or tissue receive general, medically-orientated counselling and, like the recipients, are also in a mentally and physically stressful situation that can have a negative impact on their subsequent employment. Participation counselling in the sense of pension insurance does not currently take place. The project "Organ" is intended to test a model strategy for increasing the donation rate in order to shorten the waiting time of those affected and thus recognise and provide for participation needs at an earlier stage on the one hand, and to fulfil the responsibility of social insurance on the other. The core of the project is to provide information and counselling to interested potential donors. They receive case management before and after the transplant, which focuses on restoring employment. The project has three innovations: 1. A broad range of information 2. Comprehensive counselling and needs assessment of potential donors 3. Mediation of specific measures for concrete participation needs The project is carried out in a network with transplantation facilities, associations providing information on organ and tissue donation and organisations of affected persons, taking into account the special medical, ethical, and legal framework conditions. A scientific evaluation of the case management and information work takes place.