Shortlisted students create video for Health Innovation Challenge submission

Two of our Health Innovation Challenge winning students, Sonia Thomas and Alvin Li of Western University, created a video to go along with their submission. Check out their video and description below, as well as the abstract for their submission.

"For this video we interviewed Dr. Amit Garg, a clinician scientist and director of the Kidney Clinical Research Unit at the London Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Garg discussed the importance of living kidney donation in Canada, some of the barriers faced by living kidney donors, and Ontario's reimbursement program - the 'Program for Reimbursing Living Organ Donors' (PRELOD). We hope that this video highlights how changing reimbursement policy can help promote living kidney donation, which is the preferred treatment option for the growing number of Canadians with end-stage renal disease."

- Alvin Li and Sonia Thomas, Western University (London, ON)

Entry Abstract:

Organ Donation Strategy: Reimbursement and Job-Protection Policy

With a growing number of Canadians on the waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant, the importance of facilitating living organ donation is clear. Donation-related expenses are an economic barrier that may discourage or prevent potential donors from coming forward. This report highlights two Ontario initiatives from its Organ Donation Strategy Project to address this barrier: (1) a policy permitting reimbursement for donation-related expenses, and (2) the introduction of Bill 154 which provides unpaid job-protected leave for employees who choose to become an organ donor. These initiatives focused on changing policy to permit donor reimbursement and protect employment. This will serve to promote living organ donation and allow those from low-income families to consider living donation as a feasible option.

Key Words: Health Innovation Challenge, Access and Wait Times