Live Donor Assessment Tool (LDAT): A Turkish validity and reliability study

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Surgery
• Psychiatry
• Medical Assessment Tools

Background:

• Psychosocial and psychiatric evaluations are essential for assessing live organ donor candidates.
• The Live Donor Assessment Tool (LDAT) was developed to standardize these evaluations.
• Validating the Turkish version of LDAT is crucial for its clinical application in Turkey.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Live Donor Assessment Tool (LDAT).
• To determine if LDAT can accurately assess the psychosocial and psychiatric appropriateness of live donor candidates.

Main Methods:

• 132 live kidney or liver donor candidates were randomized for assessment using standard clinical evaluation or LDAT.
• Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha; inter-rater reliability was assessed with Spearman's correlation.
• LDAT scores were compared to clinical decisions using Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• The Turkish LDAT demonstrated good internal consistency (α=0.773) and strong inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.72).
• LDAT scores effectively differentiated between accepted and declined donor groups.
• LDAT strongly predicted clinical decisions, with a cut-off score of 60.5 showing high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of LDAT is a valid and reliable tool for assessing live donor candidates.
• LDAT can be effectively utilized in the psychosocial and psychiatric evaluation of potential live organ donors.