This month we are focusing on patient education and support as well as staff education. Early education and support throughout the transplant process will help patients succeed in their transplant journey. Patient-to-patient support and interaction is an integral piece to assisting patients through the transplant waitlist process and even post-transplant. It is also important to educate staff on the transplant process so that they are able to share knowledge and support patients. Download the Transplant Change Package.
Kidney Transplant Drivers Part Four
Educate and Support Patients
Action Steps:
4a: Provide education early and regularly on transplants and the transplant process
4b: Offer support throughout the referral process
4c: Facilitate patient-to-patient support
Quality Improvement Tools: The tools and resources below can be utilized to educate your patients on transplant to make sure they are able to make informed decisions about whether transplant is right for them. These tools can also be shared to facilitate peer to peer conversations concerning transplant.
Provide education to maintain staff knowledge on transplants and the transplant process.
Quality Improvement Tools: The tools and resources below can be used to maintain and educate facility staff on the transplant process so that they are able to provide continuous education and support to patients considering transplant.
Knowledge Assessment of Renal Transplantation (KART)
Consider providing a pre- and post-assessment to staff before and after a transplant learning session.
Do you know a Transplant Trailblazer? A transplant recipient who has the ability and desire to share their experience with others to encourage them to consider kidney transplant. Please review the criteria for the Transplant Trailblazer and Dialysis Peer, discuss and brainstorm with your team, considering former patients who have received transplants and current patients who may benefit.
As part of our National Kidney Month activities, we want to recognize Transplant Trailblazers. Email a picture to Network 10 or Network 12and tell us about your Transplant Trailblazer and why they deserve a shout out.
February’s Action for Kidney Health calendar topic is Speak Up and Share, focusing on providing information about the grievance process and on ways patients can share their ideas, time and talents through volunteering.
Hearing from other patients and their experiences can help patients who may be “on the fence” about transplant, giving them motivation to find out more about transplant and if it is a a good option for them. Download and print the calendar for your patients and encourage them to take all the actions for their kidney health.
March’s Action for Kidney Health Calendar topic is Caring for My Kidneys, focusing on National Kidney Month-Shout OUT for Kidney Health!, National Nutrition Month and National Save Your Vision Month.
We know that you have some current processes and resources in place to help drive the Transplant Referrals for your facility. We would love to have you share this information with the Network and your peers as a way to assist with increasing the number of patients that are referred for or receive kidney transplants.
This newsletter was prepared and distributed by Qsource ESRD Networks, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (contract number HHSM-500-2016-00010C and HHSM-500-2016-00012C). The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 21.Q-ESRD.02.028
