title: Asclepiad's cock: a patient-physician association is a useful tool for educational programs in nephrology, dialysis, and transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The negative impact of the mass media, the lack of information, and the request for in-depth knowledge are the basis for the present need for educational programs on transplantation, brain death, and chronic kidney diseases end-stage renal disease; (ESRD). The aim of the present article was to critically review the activities performed by Il Gallo di Esculapio, a nonprofit association, in the education on the different phases of ESRD. The associates are physicians and patients, and the activities are integrated institutionally.
  
  
  METHODS
  This report is a narrative review of the material produced and performed by Il Gallo di Esculapio ONLUS in 1996-2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two main activities developed were book writing and an educational program. Eight books for patient education were written on different aspects of dialysis, transplantation, and ESRD. Most were designed as theses of the Medical School. Cooperation with patients was important in all cases and fundamental for the collection of interviews.
  A 4-hour educational program on transplantation started in 2000-2001 (1 high school was involved). The checklist originally included only transplantation and organ donation, but progressively gave space also to dialysis, ESRD, and social health care problems. In 2003-2004 the program involved 67 high schools. The association coordinated progressive patient involvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small, nonprofit patient-physician associations linked with the University allow enrolling resources for educational activities to often-neglected parts of the medical profession.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mezza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soragna
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Consiglio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Putaggio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burdese
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maddalena
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bravin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tattoli
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Piccoli
mesh_terms: D001877:Books; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology