Kidney transplant referral practices in southeastern dialysis units.

Background The Southeastern Kidney Transplant Coalition was created in 2010 to improve kidney transplant ( KTx) rates in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. To identify dialysis staff-reported barriers to transplant, the Coalition developed a survey of dialysis providers in the region. Methods All dialysis units in the ESRD Network (n = 586) were sent a survey to be completed by the professional responsible for helping patients get transplants. Results One staff member at almost all (n = 546) of the dialysis units in Network 6 completed the survey (93% response rate). Almost all respondents reported being very comfortable (51.47%) or comfortable (46.89%) discussing the KTx process with patients. Just over half (56%) of facilities reported discussing KTx as a treatment option with patients on an annual basis. Fewer than one quarter of respondents (19%) perceived that more than 50% of their patients were interested in kidney transplant, and most of the staff surveyed (68%) reported that <25% of their dialysis patients completed the evaluation process and been wait-listed for a kidney transplant. Conclusion The survey results provide insight into KTx referral practices in southeastern dialysis units that may be contributing to low KTx rates in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]