WMDA Connect – facilitate your transplant communication

Search & Match Service is the best tool in the world for obtaining an overview of whether an unrelated donor exists for a patient in need of a stem cell transplant. The system is easy to use, and you can run the search while you discuss the options with your patient. If you are a search coordinator supporting a physician in identifying an unrelated donor, you can immediately give them an initial overview.

To simplify this process, WMDA has created a set of 3 digital applications, commonly known as API. These API’s can be integrated into your registry internal system to automate many of the processes that currently require manual effort, such as data entry and analysis from multiple data sources.

With the implementation of these API’s, your registry could communicate with any registry in the world regardless of whether it is an EMDIS registry or not. The API connection will translate the message into the right format. This way registries do not have to set up and maintain multiple point-to-point connections, thus reducing complexity. It will reduce the workload of search coordinators and ultimately shorten the patient’s timeline to transplantation.

Each registry will have control over their connection status with other registries and in the event of a messaging error, the registry will receive an error message. WMDA only provides a (stateless) translation mechanism, which can be used by the registry who will remain responsible. The API’s will operate within Microsoft’s widely used cloud infrastructure, Azure.  This reputable cloud infrastructure has high levels of availability and has built-in redundancy, reducing the risk of communication failure to almost zero.

WMDA strives to match every patient with the most suitable donor, no matter where they are. This is achieved by providing the following applications (API’s) ready for implementation:

Patient API: Automatically upload validated patient HLA data directly from the local software system.
Search coordinators will be able to:

  • Add new patients to the Search & Match Service through a registry’s system;
  • Update existing patient details in the Search & Match Service through a registry’s system;
  • Update the patient status in the Search & Match Service through a registry’s system.

Search & Match API: Automatically receive matched donor results back into the local software system.
Search coordinators will be able to:

  • Receive automated notifications when new search results are available;
  • See the results of each international donor and CBU search through a registry’s system;
  • View a list of all searches performed for a patient through a registry’s system;
  • Obtain the same information as can be obtained through the web interface;
  • Store or re-use search criteria (profiles);
  • Define user or transplant centre preferences.

Connect API: Integration between systems that allow extended and verification typing requests, infectious disease marker requests, and workup requests in a secure way.
Search coordinators will be able to:

  • Send and receive messages between non-EMDIS and EMDIS users based on EMDIS protocols;
  • Perform donor availability checks, subject to data quality dependencies;
  • Conduct verification/extended typing request, Infectious Disease Marker requests and workup requests;
  • Receive automated acknowledgement, receipt and status notifications.

From an IT management point-of-view the following core principles are safeguarded:

  1. Low disruption to existing systems and processes and avoidance of ‘forced systems migration’.
  2. Ease of implementation to establish connections to all registries.
  3. Low maintenance and overhead for registries.
  4. Security and data protection ‘built-in’ to user authentication and message handling solutions.
  5. Single data model based on EMDIS semantics and used by all registries.
  6. Data quality and governance steered by WMDA and supported by the Data Dictionary Working Group.
  7. Improved transparency and reporting of data flows.
  8. Centralised notification and support for process and business rule related issues (e.g. invoicing problems).