Perspectives on Quality of Care in Kidney Transplantation: A Semistructured Interview Study

Abstract

Background. There is currently no agreement as to what constitutes quality transplant care, and there is a lack of consistency in the approach to assessing transplantation quality. We aimed to ascertain the views of patients, clinicians, and program administrators about quality care for kidney transplant patients. Methods. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 patients, 17 physicians, and 11 program administrators. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results. We identified 8 themes: access to treatment (standardized transplant referral, lengthy transplant evaluation process, lengthy living donor evaluation); accessibility of services (alternative access options, flexible appointment availability, appropriate amount of follow-up, barriers for accessing care); program resources (comprehensive multidisciplinary care, knowledgeable staff, peer support groups, educational resources, patient navigators/ advocates); communication of information (taking time to answer questions, clear communication about treatment, communication tailored to patients, health promotion and illness prevention); attitude of care providers (positive and supportive attitude, patient centered care); health outcomes (freedom from dialysis, Long-term health, short-term health, fear of infections); patient satisfaction (returning to normal life, patient satisfaction with care); and safety (reducing infection risk, quick response to complications, patient health status on the waitlist). Conclusions. There is a need to move beyond basic clinical outcomes and focus on increasing ease of access, the patient-provider relationship, and outcomes that are most important to the patients.