Kidney Transplant Referral Practices in Southeastern Dialysis Units

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Teri Browne, University of South Carolina; Rachel Patzer, Emory University; Jennifer Gander, Emory University; M. Ahinee Amamoo, Southeastern Kidney Council; Jenna Krisher, Southeastern Kidney Council; Leighann Sauls, Southeastern Kidney Council; Stephen Pastan, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-04-01
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ctr.12693
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Clinical Transplantation
• ISSN: 0902-0063
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 365
• End Page: 371
• Grant/Funding Information: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and or publication of this article: This work was supported in part by NIH NIDDK Award R15DK088707 (Browne) and NIH NIMHD Award R24MD008077 (Amamoo, Gander, Patzer, Pastan).; The analyses upon which this publication is based were performed under Contract Number HHSM-500-2013-NW006C entitled End Stage Renal Disease Networks Organization for the State (Commonwealth) of GA, NC & SC, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services.
• Keywords: FACILITY; Surgery; Science & Technology; ACCESS; referral; dialysis; provider; Transplantation; RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; South; transplant; RATES
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Background: The Southeastern Kidney Transplant Coalition was created in 2010 to improve kidney transplant (KTx) rates in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. To identify dialysis staff-reported barriers to transplant, the Coalition developed a survey of dialysis providers in the region. Methods: All dialysis units in the ESRD Network (n = 586) were sent a survey to be completed by the professional responsible for helping patients get transplants. Results: One staff member at almost all (n = 546) of the dialysis units in Network 6 completed the survey (93% response rate). Almost all respondents reported being very comfortable (51.47%) or comfortable (46.89%) discussing the KTx process with patients. Just over half (56%) of facilities reported discussing KTx as a treatment option with patients on an annual basis. Fewer than one quarter of respondents (19%) perceived that more than 50% of their patients were interested in kidney transplant, and most of the staff surveyed (68%) reported that <25% of their dialysis patients completed the evaluation process and been wait-listed for a kidney transplant. Conclusion: The survey results provide insight into KTx referral practices in southeastern dialysis units that may be contributing to low KTx rates in this region.