Heather Machin1,2, Gerard Sutton3,4, Paul N Baird2. 1. Lions Eye Donation Service, Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. 2. Department of Surgery, Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 3. The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Discipline of Ophthalmology, Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and. 4. The University of Technology Sydney, Graduate School of Health, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: International export and import of corneas is dependent on the stakeholders involved in the process and how those organizations engage to move corneas from one point to another. Our article presents the pathway of corneal donation from the export nation until its use in the import nation. It presents opinion on how aspects, such as competition and promotional behaviors, the use of online systems, and third-party engagement may influence allocation. METHODS: We interviewed n = 92 international eye tissue and eye bank (EB) professionals to garner their opinion. We used saturation and sentiment methods to extract and consolidate group opinion. RESULTS: Interviewees indicated that competition and promotional behaviors existed in some EB nations-although it was not universal. They indicated that the behavioral approach used by the individual EB, rather than the act of information sharing, influenced allocation. They also indicated that organizational models and allocation systems (eg, online ordering) and engagement with nonstate actors were important in allocation practice and decision making. CONCLUSION: We mapped the pathways for corneas involved in export and import from the point of recovery to their point of transplantation. Although generalist in nature and limited by the paucity of the existing literature, our article outlines that different business models, partnerships, and applied methods influence corneal export and import.
PURPOSE: International export and import of corneas is dependent on the stakeholders involved in the process and how those organizations engage to move corneas from one point to another. Our article presents the pathway of corneal donation from the export nation until its use in the import nation. It presents opinion on how aspects, such as competition and promotional behaviors, the use of online systems, and third-party engagement may influence allocation. METHODS: We interviewed n = 92 international eye tissue and eye bank (EB) professionals to garner their opinion. We used saturation and sentiment methods to extract and consolidate group opinion. RESULTS: Interviewees indicated that competition and promotional behaviors existed in some EB nations-although it was not universal. They indicated that the behavioral approach used by the individual EB, rather than the act of information sharing, influenced allocation. They also indicated that organizational models and allocation systems (eg, online ordering) and engagement with nonstate actors were important in allocation practice and decision making. CONCLUSION: We mapped the pathways for corneas involved in export and import from the point of recovery to their point of transplantation. Although generalist in nature and limited by the paucity of the existing literature, our article outlines that different business models, partnerships, and applied methods influence corneal export and import.