Premium
Cross sectional survey on the concerns and anxiety of patients waiting for organ transplants
Author(s) -
LI PHILIP KAMTAO,
CHU KWOK HONG,
CHOW KAI MING,
LAU MIU FONG,
LEUNG CHI BON,
KWAN BONNIE CHING HA,
TONG YUEN FAN,
SZETO CHEUK CHUN,
NG MAGGIE MIU MAN
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
nephrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1797
pISSN - 1320-5358
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2012.01615.x
Subject(s) - medicine , waiting list , psychosocial , anxiety , feeling , transplantation , population , organ transplantation , kidney transplantation , cross sectional study , happiness , family medicine , surgery , psychiatry , environmental health , psychology , social psychology , pathology , political science , law
Aim: We aimed to gain an understanding of patient concerns while on a transplantation waiting list in areas with long transplant waiting time. Methods: The study population comprised patients with organ failure on the transplant waiting list in Hong Kong. They were invited to complete a questionnaire survey. Demographic data and waiting time were collected. Respondents rated their chance of getting transplanted, their subjective concerns and feelings, level of happiness and support received. Results: A total of 442 patients on the waiting list for kidney, liver, lung and heart‐lung transplants completed the questionnaire survey. The majority of patients (93.0%) were waiting for kidney transplantation. More than half of the respondents (63.3%) had been waiting for more than 3 years. Patients with longer transplant waiting times had lower self‐estimated chance of receiving a transplant ( P = 0.004). Self‐estimated chance of getting transplanted was positively associated with the happiness score ( P < 0.0001). Issues of most concerns to the patients waiting for organ transplants were: inconvenience of therapy (48.2%), disease progression (47.9%), burden to family (59.5%) and financial difficulties (52.3%). More female patients on the waiting list (50.0% vs 25.7% in male) reported concerns about suffering associated with the illnesses. 21.7% of patients considered the level of support received inadequate. Conclusions: Our patients had long waiting time for transplantation, which is associated with a lower perceived chance of getting a transplant. Attention to more psychosocial support to these patients waiting for organ transplant is important. Promoting and improving organ donation would be the ultimate way to help these patients.