Using Matchmaker
From Silverstone Matchmaker
Previous sections handled the necessary steps to install and set up the product, but this section shows you the real power of Matchmaker. In this section, you will take a pool of unmatched donors and recipients and generate highly qualified match lists based on the criteria you set.
This section won't teach you everything about creating matches with this product but it does walk you from start to finish using realistic data and gives you a great sense of the overall process of using Matchmaker. It also exposes you to major feature areas in Matchmaker.
Contents |
Evaluating Matches and Creating a Case
This section will acquaint you with the Matchmaker tab, review a list of optimized matches, and create a case from a match you choose.
Before you start:
- If you have not installed Matchmaker yet, refer to Installing Matchmaker.
- If Matchmaker is not running, start it now. For instructions on starting Matchmaker, refer to Starting Matchmaker.
- If you have not imported and updated the sample data files, refer to Importing Data.
Starting the matching process:
- Click the Matchmaker tab.
The summary table that appears contains a wealth of information about your active donor-recipient pool and the matches that are possible. Take some time to review all the information in this table. The table is updated automatically each time you make relevant changes to the data (e.g., create a new case) or use the Run Matches command. The Summary table also contains time-saving links into the other parts of the program.
Let's begin by reviewing the Optimized Matches Matchmaker has found. In the Summary table, Matchmaker totals the number of 6-antigen and 14-antigen optimized virtual cross-matches and places the sum in the Optimized Matches cell in the table. Clicking the Optimized Matches link in the table takes you directly to the Opm-M VXM6 tab, but you can also click the Opm-M VXM14 tab to see the matches found using all 14 antigens. If you have imported and updated Matchmaker with the sample data files, the table should show 10 Optimized Matches. You'll find seven of the matches in the 6-antigen tab and three in the 14-antigen tab.
Note: Matchmaker's custom algorithms have the capability of performing both 2-way and 3-way cross-comparisons utilizing either the basic 6 HLA antigens (2 copies each of HLA -A, B and DR), termed the VXM-6 (virtual cross-match 6), or an expanded HLA comparison in the VXM-14 mode (which adds 2 copies each of HLA-Bw, Cw, DQ and DRw). Using DNA-based HLA antigen determinations and solid phase single antigen assessment of antigen avoids, a negative virtual cross-match predicts a real negative cross-match with a certainty in the range of 80% to 90%. It's also possible for Silverstone Solutions Professional Services to customize HLA antigen cross matches to generate a specified list as dictated by the individual doctor or clinician.
2. Click the Opm-M VXM14 tab to view the pairings utilizing the rigorous 14-antigen cross-matching.
Three matches appear; two are 3-way pairings and one is a 2-way pairing.
3. Double-click on Match ID 693.
The match card opens in the Matchsheet area at the bottom of the Matchmaker window.
4. Double-click on the Match ID 713 and compare the two cards side by side in the Matchsheet area.
When you are satisfied that a card is a good match and you are ready to move toward transplant, you can create a case.
5. Select the card for Match ID 693. Then click the Action menu and choose Create Case from Match to create an open case for this set of pairings.
The Create Case from Match command is also available in Matchmaker's Action menu (at the top of the window) or by right-clicking a selected pairing and selecting the command from the context menu.
6. Click the Matchmaker tab and notice that one open case has been added to the summary.
The summary does not remove the pairing from the Optimized Matches list until you use the Run Matches command.
7. From the File menu choose Run Matches to update the summary table.
After the matching is complete, the summary table shows the effect of creating the case, which effectively removes those pairs from the pool.
Note: You can use the Run Matches command (File --> Run Matches) any time you want. Typically, you would want to do this after you have changed the status of one or more individuals (e.g., placed a recipient on hold because of an availability issue). Running matches involves thousands of calculations and can take a few minutes to complete so you should use it judiciously.
You can view a list of your open cases or change the status of a case.
8. Click the Cases tab to see the list of cases that are open for transplant. Then right-click on a case to review the list of commands available for the selected case.
From this menu, you can list all the pairs and matches associated with the selected case. You can also see a complete crossmatch report for the case or save an HTML version of the data for the selected case. Finally, you can change the status of the case from OPEN to TRANSPLANTED or CLOSED. If you want to cancel the transplant and put all the pairs back into the pool, choose Change Case Status and set the status to CLOSED.
9. After the transplant is complete, update the status of this case by right-clicking on the case and choosing Change Case Status and then selecting TRANSPLANTED.
Focusing on an Individual Recipient
The previous section was oriented around finding the best matches from the available pool. But you can also look at an individual recipient and evaluate the impact of all their potential matches.
To focus on an individual recipient:
- Click the Recipients tab. You can also get individual data from the Pools tab, but the Recipients tab will have only one listing for a recipient (the Pools tab will have an entry for each potential pairing).
- From the Table menu, choose the Find command and type Floren (for Jake Floren) in the text box that appears. Then click the Find button to start the search.
If there is more than one recipient whose name is Floren or contains that group of letters (like Florentine), you can click the Find button again until you get to the recipient you're seeking.
3. The first click doesn't take you to Jake Floren's entry so click the Find button again until you reach it.
4. Double-click on the entry for Jake Floren to open his card in the Matchsheet area.
5. Click the Action menu that is part of Jake Floren's card. Take a moment to examine the available commands before choosing List all pairs for JAKE FLOREN.
These are just a few of the ways you can focus your attention on an individual recipient.
Sharing Data and Creating Reports
Matchmaker helps you share data with your colleagues by allowing you to create HTML reports (files) from selected entries throughout the product. For example, when you are viewing a card in the Matchsheet area, you can also save it as an HTML file to send to a colleague. HTML is a standard file format that is used widely by all web browsers. Matchmaker can even anonymize the names in the report for you. HTML is a standard file format that is used widely (commonly used for websites) and offers excellent formatting.
To create an HTML report from a card:
- Open a card in the Matchsheet area.
- Click the card's Action menu and choose Save Card as HTML.
3. Use the "Save the Report As" window that appears to save the HTML report as you would save any file.
- You can view the report by double-clicking it in your filesystem. It will probably be displayed by your web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Firefox). You can email it to a colleague by attaching it to an email message.
Matchmaker also allows you to create an entire set of reports that is so rich that they should allow the reader to answer almost any question about the matches and pool at the time the report was created. You can provide the report files to colleagues or keep them as a record for yourself.
To create a set of HTML reports:
- From the File menu, choose Generate Reports.
The Create a New Folder for Your Reports window appears.
2. Navigate to a folder where you'd like to save your reports and click Save.
Matchmaker creates a subdirectory for your reports and saves them for you.
3. Open one of the report files by using your file manager tool (e.g., MyComputer, Windows Explorer) to find it and then double-click it.
