AI Benchmarks Organ Transplant Patient Education to Improve Care and Access

AI Enhances Patient Education in Organ Transplant Centers

Clear, accessible information is vital for patients undergoing organ transplants. Transplants.org partnered with a team from Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy to analyze patient education materials from transplant centers across the U.S., aiming to improve these resources for better patient outcomes.

The Importance of the Transplant Handbook

Patients typically receive a printed binder filled with information from their transplant care team. This handbook, often called “the transplant bible,” serves as a crucial guide for life before and after surgery. However, the quality and scope of these handbooks vary widely between centers and by organ type.

The project focused on evaluating how these handbooks cover critical topics such as surgery risks, the transplant waitlist, immunosuppressive medications, lifestyle adjustments, travel, finances, reproductive health, and available support resources.

Analyzing Patient Materials with AI

A diverse student team analyzed 100 handbooks from 23 transplant centers, covering heart, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas transplants. These materials ranged from brief pamphlets to extensive binders and included both pre- and post-transplant information.

Using natural language processing and generative AI, the team created data-driven models to assess consistency, completeness, and currency of the content. This approach highlighted disparities and gaps, providing transplant centers with a benchmark to improve their patient education materials.

“This project allows centers to compare their materials against a national baseline, identifying where they align or differ from others,” one team member explained. Such insights were previously unavailable and can guide enhancements to better serve patients.

Technical Challenges in AI Analysis

The handbooks varied greatly in format and length, sometimes including images and tables that needed to be interpreted by AI models. The team also had to manage differences in wording across materials, grouping similar advice phrased in different ways into meaningful categories.

Manual analysis of this volume of content would have been impractical. For example, processing just six manuals manually took hours, underscoring the value of AI-driven methods for handling large-scale document analysis efficiently.

Collaboration with Industry Experts

A key to the project’s success was a partnership with Oracle, which provided pro bono technical expertise and cloud resources. This support allowed the students to access generative AI models and secure data storage during a tight 15-week timeframe.

Close collaboration with Oracle’s technical team helped the students adapt existing technologies to their specific needs, ensuring practical application of AI tools. This partnership also smoothened the transition of the project from the academic team to Transplants.org for ongoing development.

Significant Impact and Future Steps

The final analysis was shared with participating transplant centers and government stakeholders, including the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. An abstract will also be presented at the World Transplant Congress in August 2025.

Transplants.org plans to expand the database to include every transplant center in the U.S. The goal is to transform the information in these handbooks into a comprehensive care platform that supports patients through their transplant journey.

One expert involved noted the potential to customize trusted expert knowledge to each patient’s unique health path, helping them live well after transplant.

Student Experience and Broader Benefits

The project offered students hands-on experience with real-world health care challenges and advanced AI tools. Working across disciplines, the team embraced a shared mission that extended beyond academic requirements.

“We understood why we’re doing this and for whom,” said a team member, highlighting the meaningful impact of their work on transplant patients nationwide.

For educators and professionals interested in AI applications in healthcare and education, exploring practical AI tools can be a valuable step. Resources are available to build skills in AI analytics and natural language processing, which are increasingly important in transforming educational content and patient communication.

Explore AI courses and training options at Complete AI Training to gain skills relevant to projects like this one.