Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for adherence of immunosuppressive treatment in liver transplant recipients: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the adherence of liver transplant recipients to immunosuppressive therapy with a randomized controlled design.

METHOD

This randomized controlled trial was performed with 120 liver transplant recipients hospitalized at the liver transplant department of a research and practice hospital (n = 120). While we administered no intervention to the patients in the control group (n = 60), we provided Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to those in the experimental group (n = 60). We used the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and the Immunosuppressant Therapy Adherence Scale to collect data. We utilized descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and chi-squared tests to analyze the data.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the immunosuppressive therapy adherence levels of the experimental group increased significantly (p < 0.01). On the other hand, the control group had significantly higher adherence to immunosuppressive therapy and significantly higher levels of mindfulness in the pretest phase than it did in the posttest phase (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Complete adherence to immunosuppressive therapy is imperative for the prevention of graft rejection in liver transplant recipients. In our study, the experimental group equipped with enhanced mindfulness had higher adherence to immunosuppressive therapy. Therefore, the use of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in the promotion of adherence to immunosuppressive therapy is recommended.

Distinct clinical profiles and post-transplant outcomes among kidney transplant recipients with lower education levels: uncovering patterns through machine learning clustering

BACKGROUND

Educational attainment significantly influences post-transplant outcomes in kidney transplant patients. However, research on specific attributes of lower-educated subgroups remains underexplored. This study utilized unsupervised machine learning to segment kidney transplant recipients based on education, further analyzing the relationship between these segments and post-transplant results.

METHODS

Using the OPTN/UNOS 2017-2019 data, consensus clustering was applied to 20,474 kidney transplant recipients, all below a college/university educational threshold. The analysis concentrated on recipient, donor, and transplant features, aiming to discern pivotal attributes for each cluster and compare post-transplant results.

RESULTS

Four distinct clusters emerged. Cluster 1 comprised younger, non-diabetic, first-time recipients from non-hypertensive younger donors. Cluster 2 predominantly included white patients receiving their first-time kidney transplant either preemptively or within three years, mainly from living donors. Cluster 3 included younger re-transplant recipients, marked by elevated PRA, fewer HLA mismatches. In contrast, Cluster 4 captured older, diabetic patients transplanted after prolonged dialysis duration, primarily from lower-grade donors. Interestingly, Cluster 2 showcased the most favorable post-transplant outcomes. Conversely, Clusters 1, 3, and 4 revealed heightened risks for graft failure and mortality in comparison.

CONCLUSIONS

Through unsupervised machine learning, this study proficiently categorized kidney recipients with lesser education into four distinct clusters. Notably, the standout performance of Cluster 2 provides invaluable insights, underscoring the necessity for adept risk assessment and tailored transplant strategies, potentially elevating care standards for this patient cohort.

A pharmacist-led intervention to improve kidney transplant recipient outcomes and identify patients at risk of highly variable trough tacrolimus levels: a cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Given the positive impact of appropriate medication management on graft outcome and therefore of patient survival and graft function, the pharmacist's role in the kidney transplantation team has evolved over recent decades. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether pharmacist-led intervention after kidney transplantation is associated with a lower graft rejection rate and intra-patient variation in tacrolimus trough concentrations (Cmin). The study's secondary objective was to develop a questionnaire to identify patients at risk for highly variable Cmin.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed kidney transplant recipients at Rennes University Hospital (France) between January 2013 and December 2020. Patients who received pharmacist-led education (intervention group, n=139) were compared with patients who did not (control group, n=131), according to graft survival at 1 year post-transplant, coefficient of variation (%CV) for the tacrolimus Cmin, age, sex, length of hospital stay post-transplantation, body mass index, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. In the intervention group, a questionnaire assessing patient knowledge was introduced to compare scores with the %CV.

RESULTS

In the intervention group, 1 year post-transplant graft survival was higher (95.7% vs 88.5%, p=0.0289) and patients had fewer variabilities in Cmin. The %CV was correlated with questionnaire scores (r=-0.9758, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacist-led interventions may have contributed to improved graft survival and patient management of immunosuppressants. Because %CV correlates with the patient questionnaire score, its introduction could be useful in identifying kidney transplant patients who would benefit most from a pharmacist-led patient education.

The analysis of immunosuppressant therapy adherence, depression, anxiety, and stress in kidney transplant recipients in the post-transplantation period

AIM

Our study aimed to analyze the immunosuppressant therapy adherence, anxiety, stress, and depression in kidney transplant recipients in the post-transplantation period.

METHOD

This study was conducted as descriptive and cross-sectional research with the participation of 260 recipients who underwent kidney transplantation and were already discharged from the hospital (n = 260). In the data collection process, we used the Personal Information Form, the Immunosuppressant Therapy Adherence Scale (ITAS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21. The One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Chi-Squared test, post hoc and Pearson Correlation analysis methods were used in data analysis.

FINDINGS

In our study all participant kidney transplant recipients, 45.4% were age 46-64 years and 81.5% were men. As the recipients' age levels increased, their immunosuppressant therapy adherence levels decreased (p < 0.05). Similarly, kidney recipients with at least 3 adverse events (infection, gastrointestinal problems, edema, blood disorders etc.) had a higher DASS-21 score and a lower ITAS score than those with low side effects. ITAS had a strong negative relationship with DASS-21 (p < 0.05). Recipients' depression, stress, and anxiety scores were, in general, above the medium level.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to the immunosuppressive drug regimen after kidney transplantation and depression, anxiety and stress are in a bidirectional relationship. At the same time, the side effects of immunosuppressive drugs can trigger the development of depression, anxiety and stress. After kidney transplant, recipients are at risk for the development of depression, anxiety, and stress. We recommend early detection of this condition and taking preventive and symptom-reducing interventions.

The Association between Psychosocial and Age-Related Factors with Adherence to Immunosuppressive Therapies after Renal Transplantation

Renal transplantation (RT) is the optimal renal replacement treatment approach in terms of patient survival and high quality of life. Proper adherence to medication is essential in order to prolong graft life and patient survival. This study aimed to investigate the effects of psychosocial factors and age-related declines on adherence in kidney transplant recipients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of kidney transplant recipients, based on regression analysis. Patient adherence was assessed with the Basel Assessment of Adherence with Immunosuppressive Medication Scale (BAASIS). Psychosocial and age-related variables were measured with the World Health Organization’s quality of life questionnaire (WHOQoL-BREF), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI). Results: A simple linear regression model indicated that the significant predictors of self-reported adherence (p < 0.05) were age, time since transplant, and anxiety and cognitive functions. For problems with implementing immunosuppressive medication, logistic regression models showed that gender, age, retirement status, hypercholesterolemia, and cognitive impairment were the most significant predictors (p < 0.05). However, after controlling for other predictors in the multiple regression models, anxiety and cognitive ability no longer predicted treatment adherence to immunosuppressive medication. Conclusions: Renal transplantation is the most effective therapy in chronic renal failure patients. Proper adherence to immunosuppressive therapy is critical to prolonging graft and person survival. Our study shows that occupational status more significantly influences adherence to the implementation of treatment in kidney transplant recipients.

The effect of long-term immunosuppressive therapy on gastrointestinal symptoms after kidney transplantation

OBJECTIVE

We examined the relationship between compliance with long-term immunosuppressive therapy after kidney transplantation and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients discharged from hospitals in this study.

METHOD

Our study was conducted as a descriptive study with the participation of 114 kidney transplant recipients discharged from the organ transplant center of a training and research hospital. Personal Information Form, Immunosuppressive Therapy Compliance Scale and Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale were used in data collection. The data analysis was performed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics 25.

RESULTS

According to the findings, 47.4% of kidney transplant patients were between the ages of 46 and 64, and 80.7% of them were male. 41.2% of kidney recipients used immunosuppressive agents between 91 days and 6 months. Compliance with immunosuppressive therapy was similar in all age groups. It was determined that the recipients between the ages of 18 and 30 experienced GI symptoms the most. In terms of the predictors of GI symptoms, it was determined that mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was effective in the development of reflux and diarrhoea, cyclosporine in the development of diarrhoea and constipation, and tacrolimus in the development of indigestion, which are (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

For kidney recipients to have high compliance with immunosuppressive therapy, it is of great importance that they are able to cope with GI symptoms. Our study showed that GI symptoms increase in direct proportion as the duration of immunosuppressive therapy is prolonged and the level of compliance increases. GI symptoms of kidney transplant patients should be recognized, and recipients should be helped to manage those problems.

Psychosocial Evaluation of Candidates for Solid Organ Transplantation

Transplant candidates should undergo an assessment of their mental health, social support, lifestyle, and behaviors. The primary aims of this "psychosocial evaluation" are to ensure that transplantation is of benefit to life expectancy and quality of life, and to allow optimization of the candidate and transplant outcomes. The content of psychosocial evaluations is informed by evidence regarding pretransplant psychosocial predictors of transplant outcomes. This review summarizes the current literature on pretransplant psychosocial predictors of transplant outcomes across differing solid organ transplants and discusses the limitations of existing research. Pretransplant depression, substance misuse, and nonadherence are associated with poorer posttransplant outcomes. Depression, smoking, and high levels of prescription opioid use are associated with reduced posttransplant survival. Pretransplant nonadherence is associated with posttransplant rejection, and nonadherence may mediate the effects of other psychosocial variables such as substance misuse. There is evidence to suggest that social support is associated with likelihood of substance misuse relapse after transplantation, but there is a lack of consistent evidence for an association between social support and posttransplant adherence, rejection, or survival across all organ transplant types. Psychosocial evaluations should be undertaken by a trained individual and should comprise multiple consultations with the transplant candidate, family members, and healthcare professionals. Tools exist that can be useful for guiding and standardizing assessment, but research is needed to determine how well scores predict posttransplant outcomes. Few studies have evaluated interventions designed to improve psychosocial functioning specifically pretransplant. We highlight the challenges of carrying out such research and make recommendations regarding future work.

The effect of perceived social support on psychological resilience in liver transplant patients receiving immunosuppression therapy

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of social support on psychological resilience in liver transplant patients receiving immunosuppression therapy.

METHOD

This study was carried out as a descriptive and cross-sectional study with the participation of 290 liver transplant patients hospitalized in the liver transplant center of a research and application hospital. Personal Information Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used in data collection. The data analysis was performed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics 25.

RESULTS

According to the data obtained, it was determined that 30.4% of the patients were 58 years old and over, 81% of them were male and 92.8% of them were married. It was found that all of the patients used antimetabolites and corticosteroids, and 82.8% of them used calcineurin inhibitors. It was determined that 32.8% of the patients experienced infection, neuropsychiatric problems and nephrotoxicity at the same time. The psychological resilience of the patients was found to be moderate, and their perceived social support was found to be low.

CONCLUSION

It is not always possible for liver transplant patients to deal with their situation effectively. The psychological resilience and social support levels of patients who have undergone liver transplantation should be noticed, and social, economic and psychological support should be provided.

Transplant-related trauma, personal growth and alcohol use outcomes in a cohort of patients receiving transplants for alcohol associated liver disease

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation (LT) is stressful experience which can cause psychological trauma but also positive growth. We examined the prevalence of transplant related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in a cohort of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) LT recipients. We also examined whether PTG or PTSD symptoms were associated with post-LT alcohol use.

METHODS

Cross sectional survey of 51 ALD LT recipients one-year post-LT assessed PTSD symptoms, PTG, stress, self-efficacy, social support, and alcohol use.

RESULTS

18% endorsed symptoms of PTSD; 59% endorsed high PTG. PTSD symptoms and PTG were not associated. 18% drank alcohol; 10% returned to health harmful use. Neither PTSD symptoms nor PTG were associated with alcohol use. Less self-efficacy to abstain and thoughts of drinking were associated with alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial percentage of ALD LT patients had transplant-related PTSD symptoms and high PTG. Alcohol use was not associated with PTSD symptoms or PTG. Lower self-efficacy to abstain from alcohol use may provide a valuable clinical measure to assess risk for post-LT use. Clinical screening for PTSD would be beneficial as effective treatments for PTSD exist. Whether PTG can be facilitated in transplant recipients would be a valuable future line of inquiry.

Medication non-adherence after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in adult and pediatric recipients: a cross sectional study conducted by the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Medication non-adherence (NA) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) can lead to serious complications. This study assesses NA in French adult and pediatric recipients and identifies factors associated with NA. In accordance with the EMERGE and STROBE guidelines, a cross sectional multicentric survey was conducted. We used a self-reported questionnaire that was adapted to adults and pediatrics and that could provide a picture of all three phases of medication adherence: initiation, implementation, persistence. We enrolled 242 patients, 203 adults (mean age: 51 years old, 50.7% male) and 39 children (mean age: 9 years old, 56.4% female). Reported NA was estimated at about 75% in both populations, adults and pediatrics. In adults, the univariate analysis showed that patients less than 50 years old (P = 0.041), (i) treated with cyclosporine (P = 0.02), (ii) treated with valacyclovir/acyclovir (P = 0.016), and (iii) experiencing side effects (P = 0.009), were significantly more non-adherent. In multivariate analysis, only recipient age was significantly associated to NA (P = 0.05). The limited size of the pediatric population did not allow us to draw any statistical conclusion about this population. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in France on NA in allo-HCT recipients. Our results highlight the age factor as the only factor related to NA. Further studies are needed to confirm our observations and refine results in pediatric populations, currently most at risk of medication NA.

Immunosuppression following organ transplantation. Part 2: complications and their management

Advances in the care of patients who have had a solid organ transplant has led to a growing population of post-transplant patients, who are also living for longer. As a result of their longer life expectancy, transplant recipients often face a multitude of challenges, including optimising their immunosuppressive regimens and managing potential complications. Life-threatening infections, malignancies, and organ-specific toxicities are the complications post-transplant patients commonly encounter and these complications are often associated with increased morbidity and mortality, adverse graft functioning and survival, profound impairment in the patient's quality of life, and significant healthcare burden. This article, the second of two parts, gives an overview of the issues involved in the care of patients who are receiving immunosuppressants. The common complications encountered by post-transplant patients are discussed and their assessment, management, prevention and treatment explored.

Medication non-adherence after kidney transplantation: A critical appraisal and systematic review

Medication non-adherence is one of the most important causes for shortened graft survival subsequently leading to a reduction in kidney graft survival results. Our aim was to provide an overview of its prevalence, risk factors, diagnostic methods and interventions to improve adherence in kidney transplant recipients. Therefore, we systematically searched the databases PubMed, COCHRANE Library, Web of Science and EMBASE for studies addressing "medication adherence", "compliance", "adherence", "kidney transplantation" and "life style factors". We identified 96 studies that satisfied our inclusion criteria. A problematic lack of a uniformly accepted definition for non-adherence was found, consequently leading to a wide range in non-adherence prevalence (36-55%). Using one uniformly accepted non-adherence definition should therefore be encouraged. A wide range in diagnostic methods makes it difficult to accurately detect non-adherence. Heterogeneous results of intervention studies make it difficult to select the best adherence enhancing method, challenging the battle against medication non-adherence. Literature suggests a combination of personalized interventions, based on patient-specific non-adherent behavior, to be most successful in improvement of adherence. High quality diagnostic methods and multidisciplinary, personalized interventions with focus on relevant clinical outcome are essential in overcoming medication non-adherence in kidney transplant recipients.

Medication adherence in renal transplant recipients: A latent variable model of psychosocial and neurocognitive predictors

Objective

Estimates indicate that 20–70% of renal transplant recipients are medication non-adherent, significantly increasing the risk of organ rejection. Medication adherence is negatively impacted by lower everyday problem solving ability, and associations between depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and adherence are reported in renal transplant recipients. Nonetheless, to date, these associations have not been examined concurrently. Given the relationship between non-adherence and organ rejection, it is critical to gain a better understanding of the predictors of adherence in renal transplant recipients. To this end, we modeled relationships among cognitive abilities, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and adherence in this group.

Methods

Participants (N = 211) underwent renal transplant at least one year prior to participation. Adherence was measured via self-report, medication possession ratio, and immunosuppressant blood-level. Traditionally-measured neurocognitive and everyday problem-solving abilities were assessed. Depressive symptoms were measured via self-report, as were general and medication adherence related self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the fit of the model to available data.

Results

Everyday problem solving and self-efficacy had direct positive associations with adherence. Depressive symptoms were negatively associated with self-efficacy, but not adherence. Traditionally-measured neurocognitive abilities were positively associated with self-efficacy, and negatively associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

We present a comprehensive investigation of relationships between cognitive and psychosocial factors and adherence in medically stable renal transplant recipients. Findings confirm the importance of everyday problem solving and self-efficacy in predicting adherence and suggest that influences of depressive symptoms and neurocognitive abilities are indirect. Findings have important implications for future development of interventions to improve medication adherence in renal transplant recipients.

Opportunities for Engaging Patients in Kidney Research

Purpose:

The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the rationale for engaging patients in research as well as to review the established and envisioned advantages and strategies for patient-researcher partnerships. The authors of this article, which include a patient and 4 researchers in kidney disease, discuss the expected benefits and opportunities for patient engagement in their respective research programs. The 4 research programs span the spectrum of kidney disease and focus on enhancing bone health, increasing living donor kidney transplants, improving medication adherence, and preventing kidney transplant rejection.

Sources of Information:

The sources of information for this review include published studies on the topics of patient engagement and the 4 research programs of the new investigators.

Key Findings:

(1) Patient, health care provider, and researcher partnerships can contribute useful insights capable of enhancing research in kidney disease. (2) Regardless of the research program, there are various strategies and opportunities for engagement of patients with lived experience across the various stages of research in kidney disease. (3) Envisioned advantages of patient-researcher partnerships include: targeting patient-identified research priorities, integrating patients’ experiential knowledge, improving study design and feasibility through patient-researcher input, facilitating dissemination of research findings to other patients, effectively responding to patient concerns about studies, and inspiring researchers to conduct their research.

Limitations:

The limitations of the current review include the relative scarcity of literature on patient engagement within the field of kidney disease.

Implications:

The findings of the current review suggest that it will be important for future studies to identify optimal strategies for patient engagement in setting research priorities, study design, participant recruitment, execution of research projects, and knowledge dissemination and translation.

Factors relevant to medication non-adherence in kidney transplant: a systematic review

Background Medication non-adherence is a major issue after transplant that can lead to misdiagnosis, rejection, poor health affecting quality of life, graft loss or death. Several estimations of adherence and related factors have previously been described but conclusions leave doubt as to the most accurate assessment method. Aim of the review To identify the factors most relevant to medication non-adherence in kidney transplant in current clinical practice. Method This systematic review is registered in the PROSPERO data base and follows the Prisma checklist. Articles in English in three databases from January 2009 to December 2014 were analysed. A synthesis was made to target adherence assessment methods, their prevalence and significance. Results Thirty-seven studies were analysed rates of non-adherence fluctuating from 1.6 to 96%. Assessment methods varied from one study to another, although self-reports were mainly used. It appears that youth (≤50 years old), male, low social support, unemployment, low education, ≥3 months post graft, living donor, ≥6 comorbidities, ≥5 drugs/d, ≥2 intakes/d, negative beliefs, negative behavior, depression and anxiety were the factors significantly related to non-adherence. Conclusion As there are no established guidelines, consideration should be given to more than one approach to identify medication non-adherence although self-reports should remain the cornerstone of adherence assessment.

An observational study of health literacy and medication adherence in adult kidney transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

There is a high prevalence of non-adherence to immunosuppressants in kidney transplant recipients. Although limited health literacy is common in kidney recipients and is linked to adverse outcomes in other medical populations, its effect on medication adherence in kidney transplant recipients remains poorly understood. The objective was to investigate the effect of lower health literacy on immunosuppressant adherence.

METHODS

Kidney recipients who were at least 6 months post-transplant and outpatients of Vancouver General Hospital in B.C., Canada were recruited through invitation letters. A total of 96 recipients completed the Health Literacy Questionnaire, which provides a multifactorial profile of self-reported health literacy and the Transplant Effects Questionnaire-Adherence subscale measuring self-reported immunosuppressant adherence. Hierarchical linear regression was used to analyze the association between health literacy and adherence after controlling for identified risk factors of non-adherence.

RESULTS

Our sample was on average 53 years old, 56% male and 9 years post-transplant. Kidney recipients reported low levels of health literacy on scales measuring active health management and critical appraisal of information and 75% reported non-perfect adherence. Worse adherence was associated with poorer overall health literacy (ΔR2 = 0.08, P = 0.004) and lower scores on six of nine of the health literacy factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Poorer health literacy is associated with lower immunosuppressant adherence in adult kidney transplant recipients suggesting the importance of considering a recipient's level of health literacy in research and clinical contexts. Medication adherence interventions can target the six factors of health literacy identified as being risk factors for lower medication adherence.

Multilevel Correlates of Non-Adherence in Kidney Transplant Patients Benefitting from Full Cost Coverage for Immunosuppressives: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Adherence is the result of the interaction of the macro, meso, micro, and patient level factors. The macro level includes full coverage of immunosuppressive medications as is the case in Brazil. We studied the correlates of immunosuppressive non-adherence in post kidney transplant patients in the Brazilian health care system.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional design, adherence to immunosuppressives was assessed in a sample of 100 kidney transplant patients using a composite non-adherence score consisting of three methods (self-report [i.e., The Basel Adherence Scale for Assessment of Immunossupressives-BAASIS], collateral report, and immunosuppressive blood levels). Multilevel correlations of non-adherence were assessed (macro, meso, micro and patient level). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was applied to assess the correlates of non-adherence.

RESULTS

Our sample consisted primarily of male (65%), Caucasians (72%) with a mean age of 45.0 ± 13.5 years old, who received grafts from a living donor (89%), with a mean time after transplantation of 72.3 ± 44.4 months. Prevalence of non-adherence was 51%. Family income higher than five reference wages (21.6 vs. 4%; OR 6.46 [1.35-30.89], p = 0.009; patient level), and having access to private health insurance (35.3% vs. 18.4%; OR 2.42 [0.96-6.10], p = 0.04; meso level) were associated with non-adherence in univariate analysis. Only the higher family income variable was retained in the multiple logistic regression model (OR 5.0; IC: 1.01-25.14; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher family income was the only factor that was associated with immunosuppressive non-adherence. In Brazil, lower income recipients benefit from better access to care and coverage of health care costs after transplantation. This is supposed to result in a better immunosuppressive adherence compared to high-income patients who have experienced these benefits continuously.

Behavioral measures to reduce non-adherence in renal transplant recipients: a prospective randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Solid-organ transplant recipients present a high rate of non-adherence to drug treatment. Few interventional studies have included approaches aimed at increasing adherence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational and behavioral strategy on treatment adherence of kidney transplant recipients.

METHODS

In a randomized prospective study, incident renal transplant patients (n = 111) were divided into two groups: control group (received usual transplant patient education) and treatment group (usual transplant patient education plus ten additional weekly 30-min education/counseling sessions about immunosuppressive drugs and behavioral changes). Treatment adherence was assessed using ITAS adherence questionnaire after 3 months. Renal function at 3, 6, and 12 months, and the incidence of transplant rejection were evaluated.

RESULTS

The non-adherence rates were 46.4 and 14.5 % in the control and treatment groups (p = 0.001), respectively. The relative risk for non-adherence was 2.59 times (CI 1.38-4.88) higher in the control group. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a 5.84 times (CI 1.8-18.8, p = 0.003) higher risk of non-adherence in the control group. There were no differences in renal function and rejection rates between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A behavioral and educational strategy addressing the patient's perceptions and knowledge about the anti-rejection drugs significantly improved the short-term adherence to immunosuppressive therapy.

The role of disparities and socioeconomic factors in access to kidney transplantation and its outcome

BACKGROUND

Research focused on identifying vulnerable populations and revealing specific risk factors for barriers along the pathway from ESRD to kidney transplantation has been mostly descriptive and the causes of existing disparities remain unclear. However, several socio-economic factors that are associated with the access to and the outcome of the kidney transplantation have been identified.

SUMMARY

While the presence of racial, gender, and geographic disparities is noted, we were interested mostly to describe potential socio-economic factors associated with and possibly responsible for the presence of such disparities. In this review we focused on five factors: education level, employment status, income, presence of substance addiction or abuse, and marital status. We describe the new method to quantify patients' socio-economic status and identify the group of high risk in terms of the transplant outcome, easily calculated social adaptability index, previously associated with clinical outcome in several patient populations including those with kidney transplant. At the end, based on literature analyzed we offer potential interventions that potentially can be used in order to reduce the degree of disparities.

CONCLUSION

Based on review of literature socio-economic factors are associated with and possibly responsible for healthcare disparities. Social adaptability index allows quantifying the degree of socio-economic status and identifying the group of high risk for inferior transplant outcome.

Smoking association with influenza infection in renal transplant recipients

We identified 22 cases of influenza infection among renal transplant recipients and matched them with 66 controls by influenza season to explore risk factors for influenza infection. Active cigarette smoking was associated with influenza infection in this population (adjusted odds ratio 13.1; 95% confidence interval 2.3-76; P = 0.004).

Education is associated with reduction in racial disparities in kidney transplant outcome

In this study, we hypothesized that higher level of education might be associated with reduced racial disparities in renal transplantation outcomes. We used data from the United States Renal Data System (September 1, 1990-September 1, 2007) (n=79,223) and analyzed two outcomes, graft loss and recipient mortality, using Cox models. Compared with whites, African Americans had increased risk of graft failure (HR, 1.48; p<0.001) and recipient mortality (HR, 1.06; p=0.004). Compared with recipients who graduated from college, all other education groups had inferior graft survival. Specifically, compared with college-graduated individuals, African Americans who never finished high school had the highest risk of graft failure (HR, 1.45; p<0.001), followed by high school graduates (HR, 1.27; p<0.001) and those with some college education (HR, 1.18; p<0.001). A similar trend was observed in whites. In African Americans (compared with whites), the highest risk of graft failure was associated with individuals who did not complete high school (HR, 1.96; p<0.001) followed by high school graduates (HR, 1.47; p<0.001), individuals with some college education (HR, 1.45; p<0.001), and college graduates (HR, 1.39; p<0.001). A similar trend was observed with recipient mortality. In sum, higher education was associated with reduced racial disparities in graft and recipient survival.

Adherence to dual-method contraceptive use

BACKGROUND

Patient characteristics associated with adherence to dual-method contraceptive use are not known.

STUDY DESIGN

Project PROTECT was a 24-month-long randomized trial designed to promote the use of dual methods of contraception using an individualized computer-based intervention or enhanced standard care counseling intervention. We analyzed 463 women with follow-up data and examined sustained dual-method use (reported at 2+ interviews).

RESULTS

While 32% initiated dual-method contraceptive use, only 9% reported sustained use. Education increased (RR(adj)=4.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-16.42), substance abuse decreased (adjusted relative risk [RR(adj)]=0.49; 95% CI 0.24-0.97), no contraceptive use at baseline decreased (RR(adj)=0.32; 95% CI 0.11-0.92) and contraceptive stage of change increased (RR(adj)=5.04; 95% CI 1.09-23.4) adherence to dual-method use.

CONCLUSION

To effectively prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies, dual-method use must be consistent and sustained. Future interventions to promote dual-method use should focus on high-risk groups and additional dual-method combinations (e.g., barrier plus intrauterine devices or implants).