Optimal transplant education for recipients to increase pursuit of living donation.

CONTEXT: Inadequate transplant education may stop kidney patients from beginning or completing evaluation or limit recipients from considering living donation.

OBJECTIVE: To learn about recipients' decision making about living donation and preferred transplant education resources.

DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional survey.

PATIENTS: 304 kidney recipients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Living donation comfort, concerns, education preferences.

RESULTS: Recipients spent 10 median hours learning about transplant, primarily by speaking to medical staff (2-3 hours) and reading transplant brochures (0-1 hour). Twelve percent had not received any education before coming to the transplant center. At least 75% wanted education discussing the evaluation, surgery, and medical tests required of recipients and donors, as well as common transplant-related fears. Recipients who received living donor transplants were more interested in information about donors' evaluation (P < .001), surgery (P < .001), medical tests (P < .001), and donation concerns (P = .004) than were other recipients. Recipients who had living donors evaluated were more comfortable accepting family members or friends who volunteered rather than asking potential donors because of concerns about pressuring donors (85%), harming their health (83%), or causing them pain or inconvenience (76%). Besides providing accurate medical information, education that addresses recipients' fears about transplantation, explains living donors' donation experiences, and teaches patients how to pursue living donation may increase recipients' pursuit of living donation.