DonateLife | Australian Organ & Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority

ADAPT

The Australasian Donor Awareness Program

The Australasian Donor Awareness Program (ADAPT) provides training and continuing education to a range of health professionals working in organ, eye and tissue donation.

ADAPT workshops aim to provide participants with:

  • A greater understanding of the donation pathways including donation after brain death and donation after cardiac death
  • Knowledge of the processes and roles involved in donation
  • Skills to explain brain death and support families to understand
  • A greater understanding of grief and loss and the communication needs of families who face the sudden death of a family member
  • An ability to sensitively conduct conversations with families about death and inform them about organ and tissue donation
  • Awareness and understanding of their role in the donation process

ADAPT is conducted as stand-alone one-day workshops, and is delivered in two formats:

  • General ADAPT workshops are targeted at nursing, allied health professionals and those involved in the support of families in critical care areas.
  • Medical ADAPT workshops are targeted at intensivists and intensive care trainees.

Workshops are facilitated by local experienced intensivists, donor family support coordinators, DonateLife education coordinators and qualified consultants to provide guidance on family conversations.

General ADAPT

General ADAPT workshops are designed for registered nurses from critical care, emergency and operating theatres, allied health and palliative care professionals, social workers, chaplains and pastoral care workers who are involved in the support of families in critical care areas.

To view the current General ADAPT Workshop agenda, click here (PDF).

To view workshop schedules and register for a General ADAPT workshop,  click here.

Medical ADAPT

Medical ADAPT workshops are designed for intensivists, and trainees in both intensive and emergency medicine, to provide a review of the organ and tissue donation process, and continuing education in how to communicate with and care for the families of dying patients and potential organ and tissue donors.

To view the current Medical ADAPT Workshop agenda, click here.

To view workshop schedules and register for a Medical ADAPT workshop, click here.

History of ADAPT

ADAPT was developed by the Australian Coordinating Committee for Organ Registries and Donation (ACCORD). The program has been delivered in Australia since 1994 and was managed by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service until 30 June 2010.

The Organ and Tissue Authority (the Authority) assumed responsibility for ADAPT on 1 July 2010 and now provides administrative oversight for program funding, delivery and content review. With the Authority’s oversight, ADAPT is now delivered as part of the National Reform Agenda - A World’s Best Practice Approach to Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplantation. This reform agenda includes nationally-consistent education and training to health professionals working in the organ, eye and tissue donation sector.

For more information

For details of upcoming workshops, registrations and contact details, click here.