Given the complexities of transplantation, success relies on both medical and lifestyle management. Patients and their support systems require extensive education on the requirements of living with organ transplantation (e.g., medication regimen, dietary & lifestyle modifications). However, to date, methods to improve education have not been well defined.

Methods: The multidisciplinary kidney transplant team developed and integrated a clinic aimed at identifying and addressing risks for negative outcomes in patients listed and likely to receive a transplant in the near future (patients high on the UNOS waitlist at a large, Midwestern transplant center). An integral element of the clinic included an enhanced educational session, taught by patient lifestyle coaches, focused on preparedness for kidney transplant and lifestyle changes after surgery. Patients were required to bring at least two social supports, to both educate support persons and verify willingness/ability to assist post-transplant. Patients and supports were invited to complete two 15-item quizzes, before and after the clinic, on thematic content covered in the educational session to assess knowledge and learning as result of participation.

Results: Quizzes were collected from November 2016 through August 2017. There were significant improvements in the number of correct responses from pre- to post-quiz (Table 1). However, 17.8% of patients and 11% of supports continued to miss two or more items on the quiz after the educational session. The most frequently incorrectly answered pre-quiz item by both patients (22.4%) and supports (18.6%) was on activity-related lifestyle changes including avoiding gardening, cleaning up after animals, and swimming. However, after clinic, these scores improved (patients 12.1% and supports 3.4% incorrect).

Conclusions: Although patients' and supports' quiz scores significantly improved following participation in the clinic, there continues to be gaps in important areas of knowledge regarding lifestyle management post-kidney transplantation. Strategies for further programmatic improvements will be discussed.

CITATION INFORMATION: Clifton E., Eshelman A., Kim D., Patel A., Williams P., Nicholson D., Hogan K., Rubinstein E., Ramirez D., Sadik N., Jesse M. An Enhanced Educational Program for Kidney Transplant Candidates and Their Supports: Knowledge Gained but Room for Improvement Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

« Back to 2018 American Transplant Congress