The AFDT kidney transplant database, which was established in 1977 and contains data on over 20,000 patients, is one of the premier resources in the field. AFDT also has access to liver, pancreas and thoracic data collected by UNOS for member institutions that is also available for scientific analysis. These databases are updated regularly and are available for analysis by AFDT committees and members at no additional cost.
Since 1971, AFDT members have published over 90 articles in peer reviewed journals utilizing the AFDT databases. Most of these publications are the result of studies approved by the Scientific Affairs Committee (SAC). The SAC reviews all study proposals for relevance and scientific merit. It also reviews research progress and protocol compliance at each tri-annual meeting.
More recently, AFDT has become involved in the design, conduct and analysis of multi-center clinical trials of new and innovative drug therapies for the organ transplantation community and post-marketing studies of currently available drug therapies. The AFDT Clinical Trials Committee is comprised of specialists in many fields of transplantation. Recent study sponsors include Upjohn, Fujisawa USA and SangStat Medical Corporation.
SEOPF has access to both permanent staff and consultant statisticians to assist in the design and analysis of scientific studies. AFDT has an extensive background with the statistical analysis of transplant and histocompatibility data. The statistical services of AFDT are available to members, at no cost, to analyze data, either as an approved scientific study or as a single center analysis. Assistance in the design of scientific studies, including sample size and power calculations, is also provided free of charge.