Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: Improving Efficiencies in Live Kidney Donor Evaluation--Recommendations from a Consensus Conference.
The education, evaluation, and support of living donors before, during, and after donation have historically been considered the roles and responsibilities of transplant programs. Although intended to protect donors, ensure true informed consent, and prevent coercion, this structure often leaves referring nephrologists unclear about the donor process and uncertain regarding the ultimate outcome of potential donors for their patients. The aim of this article is to help the referring nephrologist understand the donor referral and evaluation process, help the referring nephrologist understand the responsibilities of the transplant program, and offer suggestions about how the referring nephrologist can help to improve efficiencies in the process of donor education and evaluation. A partnership between referring nephrologists and transplant programs is an important step in advancing living kidney donation. The referring nephrologists are the frontline providers and are in a unique position to offer education about living donation and improve efficiencies in the process. Understanding the donor referral and evaluation process, the responsibilities of the transplant program, and the potential role referring nephrologists can play in the process is critical to establishing such a partnership.
Vanderbilt Transplant Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; deonna.moore@vanderbilt.edu.
Deonna R
DR
Moore
New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University, New York, New York;
David
D
Serur
Recanati/Miller Transplant Institute, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York;
Dianne LaPointe
DL
Rudow
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts;
James R
JR
Rodrigue
Transplant Center, University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin; and.
Rebecca
R
Hays
Medstar Georgetown Transplant Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
Matthew
M
Cooper
D032921:Consensus; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000193:education; D019520:Living Donors / Q000193:education*; D009398:Nephrology / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods; D010819:Physician's Role; D012017:Referral and Consultation
kidney; kidney donation; kidney transplantation