Background

About 5,000 people in Denmark have end-stage renal failure, and the number is rising annually. The preferred treatment is kidney transplant instead of regular dialysis treatment that causes side effects, complications, restrictions, and limitations in daily life activities.

Following transplant, the patient often requires less medication, and the side effects of the immunosuppressive treatment are outweighed by the increased quality of life after surgery.

The kidney transplant itself is a milestone, but the whole process may last many years from the start of the approval process till the end of the waiting period prior to the transplant - and after that the new life with the transplanted kidney. The entire kidney transplant process includes close contact with the healthcare system through outpatient visits and maybe hospital admissions due to disease worsening or complications. To ensure that the transplanted kidney lasts as long as possible, monitoring of renal function, adjustment of the immunosuppressive treatment and the patient's condition is required. Therefore, the patients' clinical condition is closely monitored by specialists at the hospital. This means that outpatient visits and admissions to hospital interfere in the everyday life of patients and their families. In addition, high levels of self-monitoring are needed throughout the process.

Purpose

The project aims to generate new knowledge that will lead to new ways of organising kidney transplant procedures. It is based on the involvement of patients and their families and will take into account the activities and requirements of their everyday life throughout the transplant process in order to strengthen the empowerment of patients and their families.

The new initiatives in kidney transplant procedures will be based on the experiences of the patients and their families and include the perspective of the health professionals. Overall, it will be the basis for identifying the needs of patients and their families.

This is novel knowledge about the kidney transplant process and will be translated into a healthcare technology solution that will meet the needs of patients and their families and strengthen cooperation with the health professionals.

Expected Results

Through healthcare technology based on new knowledge about the needs of patients and their families, novel ways will be developed in terms of involving patients and their families in renal transplant process, and thus strengthen their action competence and empowerment in their everyday lives.