Abstract
Organ donation/transplantation processes are highly complex and have significant potential for improvements brought by innovations. This article aims to summarize the literature addressing innovations on donation/transplantation services, analyzing the types and focus of innovations and describing research gaps and opportunities. A systematic search was performed on health and management databases, applying descriptors that integrate innovation and donation/transplantation themes. From 115 articles initially returned, 31 were analyzed. The results indicate concentration of studies in the United States and addressing the transplantation of kidneys or livers from deceased donors. Most are empirical studies, predominantly clinical trials. In general, innovations are measured from their effects on a group of individuals and are distributed in the various stages of the donation/transplantation process. It has become evident that innovations in the field are analyzed mainly under a clinical spectrum, through the description of the innovation and its medical results. The scarcity of discussions about the management of the innovation process makes room for future research.