Developing patient and family education programs for a transplant center

Patient and family education is an important component of the organ transplant programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The Medical Center is in the process of planning a new transplant center which will employ the family-centered, educationally-intensive cooperative care concept. This approach was chosen as the model for the delivery of care at the Lied Transplant Center because it emphasizes efficient, effective clinical care by requiring active participation by the family or essential other, thereby better preparing both the patient and the family for the transition to home and to the community. This article presents the evolution of patient education in our transplant programs, discusses the educational needs of transplant patients across the continuum of care, provides insight into the process of planning educational programs for the new center and provides a sample module for teaching which is based on the Cooperative Care concept.