Impact of Covid-19 in Transplant Care: Attitudes, Feeling and Behaviors of Liver, and Kidney Pre and Post Transplant Patients
J. Ramos-Ayes
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Meeting: 2021 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 415
Keywords: Kidney/liver transplantation, N/A, Psychosocial
Topic: Clinical Science » Ethics » Psychosocial and Treatment Adherence
Session Information
Session Name: Adherence, Economics, and Ethics
Session Type: Poster Video Chat
Date: Sunday, June 6, 2021
Session Time: 7:30pm-8:30pm
Presentation Time: 7:50pm-8:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: The SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19) pandemic poses unique challenges for transplant patients, which may impact their attitudes, emotions and behaviors associated with transplant care. This study surveys liver and kidney transplant patients about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on their transplant care.
*Methods: Method: We evaluated the attitudes, feelings and behaviors about their healthcare associated to COVID-19 in 123 pre and post liver and kidney transplant patients (34.4% pre-kidney, 10.7% pre-liver, 33.6% post-kidney, and 18.9% post liver) in the New England area, for the month of July 2020. Data collection (email), entry and validation were facilitated via REDCap and statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; Chicago, Illinois).
*Results: Most patients (89.5%) feel confident in their ability to understand information about COVID-19. 25.4% were tested for COVID-19, with 2 positives (6.5%). The majority of the patients adhered to the CDC guidelines to prevent COVID19 infection in regards to hand washing (often 29.4%; all the time (68.3%), social distancing (often 38.2%; all the time 58.5%), and wearing mask (often 7.3%; all the time 87.0%). Most patients were able to obtain their medication when needed and are getting their surveyance labs at the same schedule than before the pandemic. Most are not worried about COVID-19 infection doing labs (62.6%), however, most of them are concern about getting COVID-19 if they need to be admitted to the hospital (63.7%) and 30% will consider not going to the hospital. Most patients express some level of concern about other people not considering organ donation because of COVID-19 (55.6%), however, most will accept a deceased donor transplant if available (94.6%). Most of the patients showed a normal distress level (72%), 19.8% reported a mild distress, and 7.9% reported a severe distress.
*Conclusions: Most patients reported appropriate adherence to prevent infection, appropriate transplant-related self-care, and capacity to psychologically adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential impact of the virus in those patients who are struggling with transplant care due to the pandemic is still an area of concern for transplant centers and relevant to clinical and operational initiatives that aims to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection among transplant patients.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Ramos-Ayes J. Impact of Covid-19 in Transplant Care: Attitudes, Feeling and Behaviors of Liver, and Kidney Pre and Post Transplant Patients [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2021; 21 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/impact-of-covid-19-in-transplant-care-attitudes-feeling-and-behaviors-of-liver-and-kidney-pre-and-post-transplant-patients/. Accessed November 22, 2024.« Back to 2021 American Transplant Congress