Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for most patients with end-stage kidney disease, but it is an extremely complicated process. To become active on the transplant waitlist, patients must learn new information, navigate the healthcare system and undergo several specialized tests. After the transplant, another set of challenges emerge. Transplant recipients must commit to lifelong therapy with immunosuppressive medications and adapt to lifestyle changes. Up to half of all patients have difficulty taking the medications as prescribed, which can lead to transplant rejection, kidney loss, and death. The transplant process is challenging and confusing; however, increasing education and support to transplant candidates demands greater use of care providers' time and resources in a health care system that is already stretched.
A patient-oriented video series has been developed according to best practices for transplant education, featuring an animated character embarking on a transplant journey. Animated segments illustrate difficult concepts for patients with poor health literacy, and patient narratives provide support and encouragement.
A multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial will be conducted to test the effectiveness of a home-based video intervention on improving kidney transplant candidate's knowledge, self-efficacy, quality of life and beliefs in medications as compared to usual care. Participants will be randomized (1:1) to the control group, or the intervention group, who will be provided access to the video series, in addition, to standard of care. Differences in changes in transplant knowledge, self-efficacy, beliefs about medicines, quality of life, and education satisfaction will be evaluated by a pre-and post-intervention survey. A thorough assessment of video-viewing habits and satisfaction with the intervention will provide insight on the feasibility of expanding home-based education to other health settings.
