Pretransplant Patient Education in Solid-organ Transplant: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Education for pretransplant, solid-organ recipient candidates aims to improve knowledge and understanding about the transplant process, outcomes, and potential complications to support informed, shared decision-making to reduce fears and anxieties about transplant, inform expectations, and facilitate adjustment to posttransplant life. In this review, we summarize novel pretransplant initiatives and approaches to educate solid-organ transplant recipient candidates. First, we review approaches that may be common to all solid-organ transplants, then we summarize interventions specific to kidney, liver, lung, and heart transplant. We describe evidence that emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary approaches to transplant education. We also summarize initiatives that consider online (eHealth) and mobile (mHealth) solutions. Finally, we highlight education initiatives that support racialized or otherwise marginalized communities to improve equitable access to solid-organ transplant. A considerable amount of work has been done in solid-organ transplant since the early 2000s with promising results. However, many studies on education for pretransplant recipient candidates involve relatively small samples and nonrandomized designs and focus on short-term surrogate outcomes. Overall, many of these studies have a high risk of bias. Frequently, interventions assessed are not well characterized or they are combined with administrative and data-driven initiatives into multifaceted interventions, which makes it difficult to assess the impact of the education component on outcomes. In the future, well-designed studies rigorously assessing well-defined surrogate and clinical outcomes will be needed to evaluate the impact of many promising initiatives.

Potential living kidney donors’ positive experiences of an information letter from healthcare: a descriptive qualitative study

“…Even patient with kidney diseases who received coaching to discuss their need of a kidney found it difficult to approach others about live donation [ 9 ]. Thus, educating patient with kidney diseases about LKDT gives them more knowledge, but does not necessarily lead to more completed LKDTs [ 22 ]. Furthermore, patient with kidney diseases vary in their ability to approach potential LDs and inform them about the medical aspects [ 23 ].…”

Ethical Issues in Kidney Transplant and Donation During COVID-19 Pandemic

“…On the other hand, many transplant candidates face significant emotional and existential threats; emotional support and dedicated pre-transplant patient education are fundamental to prepare and equip them with knowledge. 65 One ultimate and useful solution would be moving away from the language of mandated treatments and, instead, aiming to assess the risks and benefits on an individual basis. 47 That would entail exploration and understanding the reasons behind any transplant candidates' vaccine hesitancy.…”

Diseño de una herramienta educativa digital para pacientes de trasplante renal

“…Los objetivos fundamentales de la educación para la salud son: capacitar a las personas para la toma de decisiones informadas y lograr la participación crítica del paciente en el proceso educativo para favorecer su salud (Guerra Guerrero et al, 2010). La educación para los candidatos a receptores de riñón y sus familias busca mejorar el conocimiento y la comprensión sobre el proceso, los resultados y las posibles complicaciones, para que de esa manera el paciente pueda tomar decisiones de manera informada, reducir temores y ansiedad sobre el trasplante, e informar sus expectativas, favoreciendo la adaptación al TR (Hamid et al, 2022). Una vez se ha realizado el trasplante, la educación del paciente y su familia incluye conocer los cuidados post operatorios generales, tratamiento y medicación, alimentación adecuada, los síntomas y signos de alarma de rechazo del riñón y autocuidado de calidad.…”

“…The fundamental objectives of health education are: to train people to make informed decisions and achieve critical patient participation in the educational process to promote their health (Guerra Guerrero et al, 2010). Education for kidney recipient candidates and their families seeks to improve knowledge and understanding of the process, results, and possible complications, so that the patient can make informed decisions, reduce fears and anxiety about the transplant, inform their expectations and facilitate adaptation to KT (Hamid et al, 2022). Once the transplant has been carried out, the education of the patient and his family includes knowing the general post-operative care, treatment and medication, adequate nutrition, the symptoms and warning signs of kidney rejection and quality self-care.…”