A/Prof. David Goodman1, Ms Amy Atkinson
1St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia
Background: Thirteen per cent of patients on dialysis in Australia are Indigenous yet only 2.5 per cent of patients who receive a kidney transplant are Indigenous people. Our studies and those of other have shown multiple factors including medical comorbidities, psychosocial and cultural factors contribute to the difference.
Aims: To produce educational videos for Indigenous patients to encourage them to ask their kidney doctor “Am I on the List” and progress the conversation.
Methods: Indigenous dialysis and transplant recipients were interviewed by an Indigenous transplant nurse and their journey from dialysis through transplant work-up and then transplantation mapped out. Individual patient responses were used in scripting the video.
Results: Two short videos were produced with patients describing their journey in their own words. The videos have been linked to an “Am I on the List” website (hyperlink: https://www.svhm.org.au/our-services/departments-and-services/n/nephrology/kidneytransplant) which provides additional information regarding kidney transplantation and important links for patients to obtain more detailed information.
Conclusion: Educational videos featuring Indigenous Australians describing their transplant journeys and encouraging viewers to ask their doctors “Am I on the List” may raise awareness of kidney transplantation. In addition, patients more actively involved in transplant discussions will have a greater understanding of the assessment process and potentially lead to earlier listing for a greater number of patients.
Biography:
Nephrologist and Transplant Physician based in Melbourne. Lead Physician in Islet and Kidney Transplantation.
Nephrology training was completed in Victoria followed by PhD in Molecular Immunology at WEHI. Two years of Post-doctural studies in Xenotransplantation at Harvard Medical School before returning to St Vincent’s Hospital.
Regular working trips to Central Australia highlighted the current inequality in Kidney Transplantation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.