title: Living kidney donors and their family caregivers: developing an evidence-based educational and social support website.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although graft and patient survival rates for living kidney donation are improved, some healthcare providers question whether volunteer donors and their informal caregivers are fully informed of the donation process and the risks involved. Donors and their family caregivers have reported that they receive limited information about the predonation and donor recovery process. Offering web-based information and social support is one way to address this gap.
  
  
  METHODS
  Living kidney donor candidates and their family caregivers participating in the Living Donor Information Network for Caregiving (LINC) have access to a variety of online informational resources and a social support discussion forum throughout their living kidney donation experience. Strategies in the development and implementation of an online information and social-support resource are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the LINC website for information and support may assist health care providers in identifying potential barriers in the current donation process and provide direction for enhancing knowledge and confidence among donors and family caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA. ltaylo34@son.jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahreman
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoey
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rajasekaran
authors.forename: Dorry L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Segev
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support