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Transplant Services

Living Donation Outreach Educator

Contact Information
 

(608) 261-1993

kwest@uwhealth.org

The UW Health Transplant Program strongly believes that living donor kidney transplant is the best choice for most patients. The patient may have mixed feelings about dialysis, transplant and living donation. This is normal and expected. Education can help increase understanding. When patients have the knowledge they need to make an informed decision, they often feel more confident.

The living donation outreach educator can help patients find and understand information about their treatment options. An array of services is available, and can be tailored to meet each patient's needs.

New Patient Service: Home-Based Patient/Group Education

The living donation outreach educator can facilitate a group meeting at the patient's home or other community site such as a church, hospital or meeting room. These meetings can help educate all the people who are interested in the patient's care, and can start a conversation about living donation.

 
Did You Know?
 
A recent study showed that home-based patient education helped increase access to live-donor transplant. In this study, transplant staff members went to the patient's home for a group meeting. They gave information and answered questions. This helped ease patients' concerns and increased awareness of the situation for family and friends. More people were willing to think about donating a kidney.


Other Available Services

  • Meet with patients at their transplant evaluation to share information about living donor transplant.
  • Talk with patients about their feelings or concerns about living donor transplant.
  • Provide written or video resources so patients and families can be fully informed.
  • Help patients think about how to approach potential donors. Many patients would be happy to accept a kidney donor, but most find it hard to ask someone to donate.
  • Role-play or practice talking about living donor transplant with potential donors.
  • Talk with family members and potential donors about the process, what to expect and concerns.
  • Support the entire family in weighing treatment options for kidney failure.

What to Expect From the Living Donation Outreach Coordinator 

  • The living donation outreach educator will not try to force the patient to have a living donor transplant.
  • No one will judge the patient's decisions about transplant.
  • No one will judge a patient's choice not to pursue living donation.
  • A patient's status on the kidney wait list will not change based on his or her choice about living donation.