Educating patients pre-transplant for a successful transplant outcome

 Medical City Dallas Hospital conducted a pilot study to test the hypothesis that an intensive education program would improve patient compliance and post-transplant outcomes compared to standard care received (printed material given to patients). Oftentimes, patients do not receive adequate education prior to surgery about the life-changing operation they are to undergo. Patients who participated in the intensive, 16-week education program scored better on coping tests, were more physically active and had better knowledge of nutrition than their counterparts who did not participate in the intensive education program. Participants of the pilot study met with a dietitian 3 times during the 16-week program to learn about nutrition recommendations specific to kidney disease and transplantation. Participant satisfaction was the highest for classes on diet and nutrition. Below is a link to the article. Please post comments if your transplant center is working on creating wellness programs for transplant candidates and recipients to improve patient adherence to recommendations and improve their post-transplant outcomes. 

http://www.nephrologynews.com/kidney-transplant/article/improving-transplant-readiness-in-kidney-patients-a-pilot-study