A patient navigator and education program for increasing potential living donors: a comparative observational study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Patient Advocacy

Background:

• Person-centered care environments may enhance living donation for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
• A patient navigator (PN) program was implemented to assess its impact on living donation rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a person-centered patient navigator program in nephrology settings increases potential living donors (PLDs).
• To evaluate the program's effect on increasing living kidney transplantation rates.

Main Methods:

• Observational study design involving 4621 referred and 950 transplanted patients (2007-2012).
• Propensity score matching was used to create comparable patient groups for analysis.
• Logistic regression analysis assessed the association between the PN program and PLDs, and living vs. deceased transplantation.

Main Results:

• Candidates in the PN program were more likely to have an initial inquiry PLD (OR=1.21) and a preliminary screening PLD (OR=1.27).
• No significant difference was observed in evaluated PLDs (OR=0.94).

Conclusions:

• The person-centered PN program appears to stimulate patient willingness to pursue living kidney transplantation.
• The program showed a positive trend toward increasing living donation, highlighting its potential benefits for ESRD patients.