Patients' willingness to talk to others about living kidney donation.
BACKGROUND
Living donor kidney transplantation has several advantages for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, many patients are reluctant to pursue this treatment option, preferring instead to wait for a deceased donor organ.


OBJECTIVE
To examine predictors of patients' willingness to talk to others about living kidney donation.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-two adult patients awaiting kidney transplantation who were enrolled in a randomized trial examining the effectiveness of education on rates of live donor kidney transplantation completed a baseline rating of their willingness to talk to others about living kidney donation. Also, patients completed measures of knowledge and concerns about living donation and a rating of perceived health.


RESULTS
Slightly more than half the patients (56.1%) had low willingness to talk to others about living donation. The following variables were associated with higher willingness to talk to others: white race (odds ratio, 3.31; confidence interval, 1.7-7.4), college education (odds ratio, 3.43, confidence interval, 2.0-5.6), fewer concerns about living donor kidney transplantation (odds ratio, 0.31; confidence interval, 0.2-0.6), and less favorable perceptions of their current health status (odds ratio, 4.31; confidence interval, 2.6-7.6).


CONCLUSIONS
White race, more education, less concern about living donor kidney transplantation, and poorer perceived health are associated with greater willingness to talk to others about living kidney donation. These findings have important implications for educating patients about living donor kidney transplantation.
Rodrigue
James R
JR
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Cornell
Danielle L
DL
Kaplan
Bruce
B
Howard
Richard J
RJ
D002755:Choice Behavior; D003142:Communication; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D019520:Living Donors; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists; D044465:White People / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology