Measuring kidney patients' motivation to pursue living donor kidney transplant: development of stage of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy measures.

While educational interventions to increase patient motivation to pursue living donor kidney transplant have shown success in increasing living donor kidney transplant rates, there are no validated, theoretically consistent measures of Stage of Change, a measure of readiness to pursue living donor kidney transplant; Decisional Balance, a weighted assessment of living donor kidney transplant's advantages/disadvantages; and Self-Efficacy, a measure of belief that patients can pursue living donor kidney transplant in difficult circumstances. This study developed and validated measures of these three constructs. In two independent samples of kidney patients (N 1 = 279 and N 2 = 204), results showed good psychometric properties and support for their use in the assessment of living donor kidney transplant interventions.

Your Path to Transplant: a randomized controlled trial of a tailored computer education intervention to increase living donor kidney transplant.

BACKGROUND: Because of the deceased donor organ shortage, more kidney patients are considering whether to receive kidneys from family and friends, a process called living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). Although Blacks and Hispanics are 3.4 and 1.5 times more likely, respectively, to develop end stage renal disease (ESRD) than Whites, they are less likely to receive LDKTs. To address this disparity, a new randomized controlled trial (RCT) will assess whether Black, Hispanic, and White transplant patients' knowledge, readiness to pursue LDKT, and receipt of LDKTs can be increased when they participate in the Your Path to Transplant (YPT) computer-tailored intervention. METHODS/DESIGN: Nine hundred Black, Hispanic, and White ESRD patients presenting for transplant evaluation at University of California, Los Angeles Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program (UCLA-KPTP) will be randomly assigned to one of two education conditions, YPT or Usual Care Control Education (UC). As they undergo transplant evaluation, patients in the YPT condition will receive individually-tailored telephonic coaching sessions, feedback reports, video and print transplant education resources, and assistance with reducing any known socioeconomic barriers to LDKT. Patients receiving UC will only receive transplant education provided by UCLA-KPTP. Changes in transplant knowledge, readiness, pros and cons, and self-efficacy to pursue LDKT will be assessed prior to presenting at the transplant center (baseline), during transplant evaluation, and 4- and 8-months post-baseline, while completion of transplant evaluation and receipt of LDKTs will be assessed at 18-months post-baseline. The RCT will determine, compared to UC, whether Black, Hispanic, and White patients receiving YPT increase in their readiness to pursue LDKT and transplant knowledge, and become more likely to complete transplant medical evaluation and pursue LDKT. It will also examine how known patient, family, and healthcare system barriers to LDKT act alone and in combination with YPT to affect patients' transplant decision-making and behavior. Statistical analyses will be performed under an intent-to-treat approach. DISCUSSION: At the conclusion of the study, we will have assessed the effectiveness of an innovative and cost-effective YPT intervention that could be utilized to tailor LDKT discussion and education based on the needs of individual patients of different races in many healthcare settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02181114.

Modifiable patient characteristics and racial disparities in evaluation completion and living donor transplant.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To reduce racial disparities in transplant, modifiable patient characteristics associated with completion of transplant evaluation and receipt of living donor kidney transplant must be identified. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: From 2004 to 2007, 695 black and white patients were surveyed about 15 less-modifiable and 10 more-modifiable characteristics at evaluation onset; whether they had completed evaluation within 1 year and received living donor kidney transplants by 2010 was determined. Logistic regression and competing risks time-to-event analysis were conducted to determine the variables that predicted evaluation completion and living donor kidney transplant receipt. RESULTS: Not adjusting for covariates, blacks were less likely than whites to complete evaluation (26.2% versus 51.8%, P<0.001) and receive living donor kidney transplants (8.7% versus 21.9%, P<0.001). More-modifiable variables associated with completing evaluation included more willing to be on the waiting list (odds ratio=3.4, 95% confidence interval=2.1, 5.7), more willing to pursue living donor kidney transplant (odds ratio=2.7, 95% confidence interval=1.8, 4.0), having access to more transplant education resources (odds ratio=2.2, 95% confidence interval=1.5, 3.2), and having greater transplant knowledge (odds ratio=1.8, 95% confidence interval=1.2, 2.7). Patients who started evaluation more willing to pursue living donor kidney transplant (hazard ratio=4.3, 95% confidence interval=2.7, 6.8) and having greater transplant knowledge (hazard ratio=1.2, 95% confidence interval=1.1, 1.3) were more likely to receive living donor kidney transplants. CONCLUSIONS: Because patients who began transplant evaluation with greater transplant knowledge and motivation were ultimately more successful at receiving transplants years later, behavioral and educational interventions may be very successful strategies to reduce or overcome racial disparities in transplant.