2015 Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages 202-210
This study aimed to reveal the experiences and needs through treatment of children who received kidney transplants. Ninety recipients (7～29 years old) completed a mail-in questionnaire survey. Descriptive data were analyzed qualitatively. The 17.6% of recipients who received transplants during childhood answered that they had wanted to know about their disease and treatment before they had received the transplant. About 60% of the recipients who received transplants in adolescence and young adulthood answered that they got enough information before the transplant, but 25% answered they had not wanted to know more. The participants positively evaluated their medical care and inter-professional collaboration, practical and emotional support by their families, the experience of having their requests granted during their stay at the hospital, and the interaction with other recipients. They wanted social support for education and getting employment, more information provision, and improvement of mental support. In the childhood group, about 70% answered that they had needs for peer support. These results suggest the importance of individual assessment and support in accordance with children’s stage of development and their needs.
