Laneuville L, Ballesteros F, Affdal A, Malo MF, Brassard L, Gagnon Chainey B, Millot P, Mavrikakis C, Harel S, Fortin MC. Perspectives of Kidney Transplant Recipients, Transplant Candidates, and Living Kidney Donors on the Role of Patients’ Self-Narratives and Experiences of Creative Writing Workshops: A Qualitative Study.
Can J Kidney Health Dis 2022;
9:20543581221132742. [PMID:
36353517 PMCID:
PMC9638699 DOI:
10.1177/20543581221132742]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:
Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for kidney failure but is
associated with medical, psychological, and existential challenges for
patients. Patients’ experiential knowledge can help other patients facing
these challenges. Patients’ self-narratives and creative writings are ways
to operationalize this experiential knowledge. Creative writing has been
described as a therapeutic tool for patients with chronic disease. Over the
past year, we conducted creative writing workshops with kidney transplant
recipients (KTRs), living kidney donors (LKDs), kidney transplant candidates
(KTCs), and professional writers. During these workshops, patients were
invited to explore different aspects of their experiences of their
transplant or donation journey through narrative-writing, poetry, comic art,
and screenwriting.
Objective:
The objectives of this study were to gather the perspectives of KTRs, KTCs,
and LKDs on the role of patients’ self-narratives and creative writing, and
to collect patients’ experiences of the creative writing workshops.
Design:
Focus groups and individual interviews.
Setting:
The Center hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) kidney transplant
program.
Participants:
KTRs, LKDs, and KTCs attending the CHUM kidney transplant clinic between
February 2020 and January 2021.
Methods:
We conducted 2 focus groups and 8 semi-structured individual interviews with
7 KTRs, 8 LKDs, and 5 KTCs from the CHUM between June and November 2020,
before the creative writing workshops. We also conducted 10 semi-structured
interviews with 5 KTRs, 1 KTC, and 4 LKDs in March 2021, after their
participation in the creative writing workshops. The interviews were
recorded and transcribed. Thematic and content analyses were conducted.
Results:
KTRs, LKDs, and KTCs had multiple significant moments to share from their
transplant/donation journey. These moments were highly emotional and marked
by uncertainty. The creative writing workshops were described as therapeutic
by participants, because they offered a safe space for group-facilitated
reflection, including a discovery and learning process, and normalization,
relativization, and appreciation of the transplant/donation experience. The
creative writing workshops also provided an opportunity to give back to
others (helping other patients, promoting kidney donation and continuing
this process in the future through the web platform).
Limitations:
Our participants came from a single French-speaking urban transplant center
in Quebec and were highly educated.
Conclusion:
The study set out to capture the perspectives of KTRs, LKDs, and KTCs through
the sharing of self-narratives and their participation in creative writing
workshops related to their transplant or donation journey. A website was set
up to publish patients’ creative writings (https://recitsdudonetdelavie.lorganon.ca/les-recits/).
Further study is needed to assess the website’s impact on other
patients.
Trial registration:
Not registered.
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