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The impact of pancreas transplantation on patient employment opportunities
Author(s) -
Knight Richard J,
Daly Lisa
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2004.00115.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pancreas transplantation , transplantation , diabetes mellitus , dialysis , quality of life (healthcare) , kidney transplantation , nursing , endocrinology
Background: A questionnaire study was designed to determine whether the quality of life benefit provided by receiving a kidney–pancreas (KP) transplant increased the incentive to return to work, compared with patients receiving a kidney alone (KA) transplant. Methods: A confidential questionnaire was sent to 58 patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus who had functioning grafts at least 6 months post‐transplant. Thirty‐eight patients had received a KP transplant and 20 patients, a KA transplant. Results: Eighty‐three percent of patients returned the questionnaire (87% of KP and 75% of KA patients [p: non‐significant (ns)]. The pre‐transplant demographic variables of age, gender, educational status, and need for dialysis, were equivalent between the KP and KA groups, respectively (p: ns). At the time of transplantation 39% of KP patients and 33% of KA patients were employed at least 20 h/wk (p: ns). However, post‐transplant significantly more KP patients (73%) were working compared with KA patients (27%, p: 0.04). Additionally, pre‐transplant employment was independently associated with post‐transplant work status (p: 0.01). Conclusion: These data suggest that the improvement in quality of life associated with pancreas transplantation provide an added incentive for diabetics with renal insufficiency to seek employment.