Implementation of the Live Donor Champion Program

The Live Donor Champion Program is a clinical education program offered to patients placed on the waitlist for kidney transplantation at the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center. The goal of the program is to increase patient knowledge regarding end stage renal disease, kidney transplantation, and live kidney donation and to help patients identify potential live kidney donors. Patients are encouraged to bring family and friends to participate in the program and act as advocates on their behalf. These friends and family members are labeled "live donor champions" and work to assist the patient in spreading awareness about end stage renal disease, kidney transplantation, and live kidney donation.

The objectives of this project are to pilot-test and optimize strategies for the dissemination of the Live Donor Champion program in the clinical transplant center setting. The goals of the study are to develop an implementation protocol for centers who want to establish a live donor champion program at their institution.

Live Donor Champion Concept: Even with adequate education of live donation, many kidney transplant candidates still feel ill equipped to ask others to consider donating. Friends and family are often eager to help and may not be able to serve as donors themselves, but might be able to provide substantial instrumental support. A "Live Donor Champion" (LDC) is a friend, family member, or community member who serves as an advocate for the candidate in their pursuit of live donation. The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center has developed a six-month program that provides education and advocacy training to waitlist candidates and their LDCs. The instrumental support provided by the LDC bridges a critical link between education and action. In pilot studies, candidates with an LDC were more likely to undergo Live Donor Kidney Transplant (LDKT) than matched controls. Using LDCs to increase live donation is a novel approach that has garnered widespread enthusiasm, including support from United Network for Organ Sharing.

Live Donor Champions (LDCs) as Instrumental Support for Transplant Candidates. Approaching potential donors is a daunting and overwhelming experience for Kidney Transplant (KT) candidates. Current educational programs address the medical aspects of dialysis, KT, and donation, but neglect the health communication skills to discuss transplantation and to spread awareness through their various social networks. While transplant candidates are hesitant to engage others in conversations about End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and live donation, friends, family members, or community members are eager to spread awareness and provide advocacy for the patient. In pilot studies, this intervention improved knowledge regarding LDKT and provided instrumental support to the transplant candidates. Understanding what factors are associated with the successful implementation of this program will enable its eventual dissemination at transplant centers nationwide ultimately improving nationwide education and awareness of LDKT. In order to successfully do so, a scientifically rigorous implementation study is necessary.

Eligibility Criteria:
Waitlist Candidates

Inclusion Criteria:

* Kidney transplant candidates aged≥18 added to the waitlist in the last year with no potential live donors are eligible.
* If there is an individual willing to donate, but the candidate is unwilling to consider this option or this particular individual, the candidate is eligible for the trial and may still benefit from identification of new donors or increased comfort accepting donation from others.
* Participants at University or University of Alabama must speak English. Participants at Northwestern University must speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Candidates with live donors currently under evaluation for donation will be excluded.
* Those with a previous kidney transplant will be excluded

Live Donor Champions Inclusion Criteria

* aged≥18
* English-speaking
* Be a "Live Donor Champion" (a friend, family member or community member willing to advocate for the wait-listed patient).

Exclusion Criteria

* \<18, not English-speaking

LDC Administrators Inclusion Criteria

* aged≥18
* English-speaking
* Performed tasks related to implementing the LDC program

Exclusion Criteria

* \<18, not English-speaking, and no affiliation with implementing the LDC program