title: Transplant professionals vary in the long-term medical risks they communicate to potential living kidney donors: an international survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Discussing long-term medical risks with potential living donors is a vital aspect of informed consent. We considered whether there are global practice variations in the information communicated to potential living kidney donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transplant professionals participated in a survey to determine which long-term risks are communicated to potential living kidney donors. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed in person and by electronic mail.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We surveyed 203 practitioners from 119 cities in 35 different countries. Sixty-three percent of participants were nephrologists, and 27% were surgeons. Risks of hypertension, proteinuria or kidney failure requiring dialysis were frequently discussed (usually over 80% of practitioners discussed each medical condition). However, many practitioners do not believe these risks are increased after donation, with surgeons being less convinced of long-term sequelae compared with nephrologists (P < 0.01). About 30% of practitioners discuss long-term risks of premature cardiovascular disease or death with potential donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transplant professionals vary in the long-term risks they communicate to potential donors. Improving consensus will enhance decision-making, and emphasize best practices which maintain good, long-term donor health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Housawi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boudville
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thiessen-Philbrook
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muirhead
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Obaidli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Triki
authors.forename: A X
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Garg
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003142:Communication; D034742:Electronic Mail; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007668:Kidney; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D009398:Nephrology / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment