Impact of Patient Awareness on Access to Transplantation in End Stage Renal Disease

Background: Despite the survival benefit offered by kidney transplantation, only a small percent of hemodialysis patients are on a kidney transplant list. Methods: We performed a prospective study to assess the impact of patient awareness on access to kidney transplantation. We administered a standardized questionnaire (13 questions) to 129 prevalent end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis at one large and one small dialysis organization. Results: Discussion of the transplant option with the physician was the only significant factor (P = 0.003) associated with patient’s presence on a kidney transplant list or being in the work-up process. Conclusions: Patient’s awareness of renal transplantation after initiation of dialysis plays a major role in their access to transplantation. World J Nephrol Urol. 2014;3(2):67-71 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjnu158w