Currently, the transplant registry is the only central institution in Germany which collects data on organ donation, transplants, organ donors and recipients in one place.
With the amendment of the German transplant law (TPG) which came into force on 1st November, 2016, the Federal Government wants to ensure greater patient safety, transparency and quality in transplantation medicine. By bundling data on organ donors and transplant patients in one registry, a reliable basis is created for further improving transplantation medicine and increasing patient safety in Germany. For example, the registry can provide valid information on which donor organ will be the best match for an organ recipient.
Any medically relevant information is only entered into the Transplant Registry with consent of both the donor and the recipient. In addition, the information is stored without any direct link to a person. Information provided on organ donor cards is not being recorded.
The Transplant Registry consists of an autonomous Transplant Registry office and an independent trust office. The office is set up for all operations related to the Registry. It is where all medical transplantation data is collected, stored, checked, created, transmitted and being made available. In the trust office, personal data is pseudonymised before it is transmitted to the Transplant Registry. The Transplant Registry is under the supervision of the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.