2015 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 36-43
Since 2010, we have promoted kidney transplantation (KTx) in Kagoshima Prefecture by arranging several educational activities including lectures, workshops, and interviews of citizens, patients, and hemodialysis (HD) professionals such as physicians (nephrologists), medical engineers, and nurses. These activities have resulted in an increase in the number of kidney transplants from 0.95 to 14 per year. We distributed questionnaires at the end of the lectures to evaluate the awareness of patients and physicians on KTx. This questionnaire showed that insufficient information on KTx has been provided to patients by HD physicians for many years. The survey also showed that patients and their family wanted information from transplant surgeons on graft function rates, safety of the donor, and daily life of the patient after surgery. This information may be helpful when choosing a hospital for transplant surgery. In addition, family support and advice from HD physicians was considered important for patients to make the decision to undergo KTx. In conclusion, it is necessary to continue providing useful information on KTx through educational activities and to achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes to promote these transplants.
