The Transplanted Organ Questionnaire: a validation study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Psychology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Patient representations of transplanted organs are vital but often overlooked in clinical practice.
• Understanding these representations is key to improving patient outcomes post-transplantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To specifically assess the representations of the transplanted organ in liver transplant recipients.
• To evaluate the validity and stability of these representations over time.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 134 liver transplant (LT) patients.
• Utilized the newly developed Transplanted Organ Questionnaire (TOQ) at multiple time points (3, 6, 12, 24, 36 months post-LT).

Main Results:

• The TOQ identified three key dimensions: Donor concerns, Positive attitude, and Psychological Rejection.
• Psychological Rejection, a lack of transplant incorporation, was a significant predictor of increased long-term mortality (HR 1.20).
• Older recipients and those with viral hepatitis showed distinct patterns in their transplant representations.

Conclusions:

• Transplanted organ representations, measured by the TOQ, are clinically relevant in liver transplant recipients.
• Interventions targeting psychological rejection and promoting incorporation may reduce long-term mortality.
• Further research should explore interventions based on these patient representations.