Protocol of a cluster randomized trial of an educational intervention to increase knowledge of living donor kidney transplant among potential transplant candidates.
Weng FL, Brown DR, et al.BMC Nephrology 2013; 14(1): 256.
Aims
A protocol to test the impact of an educational intervention upon potential transplant candidates knowledge of live donor kidney transplant (LDKT).
Interventions
Participants will receive either standard of care transplantation education or intensive transplant education. Standard education involves information on informed consent, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria and baseline case report forms. Intensive transplant education will include the usual education content plus viewing of an educational video, discussion with a transplant educator and reviewing written materials.
Participants
Adult participants >18 years of age that have been appointed for initial kidney transplant evaluation.
Outcomes
The primary outcome is knowledge of the benefits, risk and process of LDKT one week after the transplant evaluation. The secondary outcomes include the change in knowledge of LDKT three months after the transplant evaluation, readiness to pursue transplant and LDKT, self efficacy regarding transplant and decisional balance regarding transplant and LDKT.
Follow-up
12 months
CET Conclusions
This protocol describes a study in which potential renal transplant recipients will be cluster randomised (by day of assessment) to either standard transplant education (a 90 minute presentation by a transplant nurse co-ordinator) or education based upon a video about living donor transplantation and a 15 minute interview with a trained transplant educator. The authors aim to recruit 250 recipients to each intervention, and hypothesise that the more intensive intervention will improve transplant knowledge (the primary outcome). Studies of complex interventions of this type are very difficult as there are a large number of variables involved. Cluster randomisation may mean that there are differences in the way in which the intervention is delivered on a day-to-day basis depending on the personnel available at each session. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see whether the intervention suggested, which is only very modestly different to standard care, has any affect on knowledge or indeed living donation rates.
Quality notes
Quality assessment not appropriate as this is a protocol.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov – NCT01261910