Patients’ Expectations for Longevity of Kidney Transplant

Michelle Gruttadauria, Colin Dunn, Juan Lin, Joshua R. Kaminetsky, Kayla Applebaum, Daniella Portal, Omar Mohammed, Juan Rocca, Stuart Greenstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction: Prior to transplantation, the transplant team is responsible for transplant education and posttransplant expectations. The majority of outcomes research focuses on 1- and 3-year graft survival, with a lack of literature focused upon whether patients have a realistic understanding of how many years deceased donor kidneys can be expected to function after transplant. Objective: To determine whether potential kidney transplant patients’ expectations for how long a deceased donor kidney will function after transplantation differs from transplant surgeons, using quantitative analysis. Design: A cross-sectional survey was used with potential adult kidney transplant recipients and transplant surgeons. Patient surveys included demographics, quality-of-life questions, and questions of expectations of kidney function for deceased donor kidneys from the Kidney Donor Profile Index. The survey categorized donor organ risk as 0% to 20%, 21% to 85%, and 86% to 100%, and results were compared to responses from US Transplant Surgeons. Surgeons were contacted via e-mail using an online survey program. Results: Responses included 154 transplant surgeons and 172 patients. Surgeon and patient responses were compared using Fisher exact test, showing a significant difference in each of the donor organ categories. We found that 47% of patient respondents did not correctly interpret the Kidney Donor Profile Index continuum. Conclusion: In every organ donor category, patients had a significantly different expectation for how long a transplanted kidney will last after transplant when compared to transplant surgeons. More study is required to determine why 47% of patients did not correctly interpret the Kidney Donor Profile continuum.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)48-53
Number of pages6
JournalProgress in Transplantation
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2019

Keywords

  • Kidney Donor Profile Index
  • education
  • kidney transplant
  • qualitative
  • quantitative
  • renal transplant

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Transplantation

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