Evolution of a Transplant Surgery Advanced Practice Provider Practice Model in the Care of High-Acuity Liver Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Experience

Background: The role of advanced practice providers (APPs) in an academic transplant surgical acute care setting remains to be defined. We sought to evaluate the impact of a transplant surgeon–APP (TSAPP) practice model on patient access and outcomes in the care of critically ill patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) in an academic transplant center. Methods: A retrospective analysis evaluated the effect of practice model evolution over an 11-year period on hospital access of patients with ESLD to an academic liver transplantation center and survival outcomes. We compared 3 practice models: era 1 (transplant surgeon–general surgery resident; January 2009 to Sept 2012): vs era 2 ( transition transplant surgeon–general surgery resident to TSAPP; October 2012 to December 2016): vs era 3 (TSAPP; January 2017 to December 2020). Results: Patient access to hospitalization and inpatient service census increased significantly over time with TSAPP model (P < .01). At the time of liver transplant, the median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores for era 1 (25), era 2 (33), and era 3 (34), P < .01, and patient requirement for intensive care unit for era 1 (7.1%), era 2 (44.8%), and era 3 (56.4%), P < .01, have increased. The overall 1-year patient survival rates remained comparable across all eras: era 1 (93.88%), era 2 (93.11%), and era 3 (94.06%), P = .77 Conclusions: The APPs play an integral role in clinical transplantation practice. The integration of APPs into the transplant surgical workforce increased access of high-acuity patients with ESLD to the transplantation center. In addition, it provided excellent patient and graft survival outcomes after liver transplant.