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Updated: Jun 1, 2025
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Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
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Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Patients With Kidney Allograft Dysfunction: A Qualitative Study
Cameron E Comrie1,2, Katherine He3, Jolene Wong4
1Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
Kidney Medicine
|January 17, 2025
Summary
Patients with declining kidney allografts need palliative care for emotional distress and prognostic awareness. Integrating palliative care with transplant teams can improve quality of life for kidney transplant recipients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Palliative Care
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- Kidney transplant recipients often face allograft failure, leading to high mortality and symptom burden.
- Palliative care is underutilized in this population despite potential benefits.
- This study addresses the unmet palliative care needs of patients with declining kidney allografts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the perceptions and needs regarding palliative care among kidney transplant recipients with poorly functioning allografts.
- To identify key areas where palliative care interventions could improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative study design utilizing semistructured interviews.
- Adult kidney transplant recipients with a glomerular filtration rate <20 mL/min/1.73m² were interviewed.
- Thematic analysis was conducted by an interdisciplinary team.
Main Results:
- Most participants were unfamiliar with palliative care, often equating it with end-of-life care.
- Emotional distress and a desire for prognostic awareness were primary unmet needs.
- Participants expressed trust in transplant teams, indicating openness to integrated palliative care.
Conclusions:
- Patients with declining kidney allografts have diverse, unmet palliative care needs.
- Palliative care integration with transplant teams is recommended for education and timely engagement.
- Improved prognostic awareness and emotional support are crucial for this patient group.
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