Background Many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have difficulties becoming actively engaged in the pursuit of pre-emptive living donor kidney transplantation. Study Design The Talking About Live Kidney Donation (TALK) study was a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of educational and social worker interventions designed to encourage early discussions and active pursuit of pre-emptive LKT among patients with progressive CKD. Setting & Participants We recruited participants with progressive CKD from academically affiliated nephrology practices in Baltimore, Maryland. Intervention Participants randomly received 1) “Usual Care” (routine care with their nephrologists), 2) “TALK Education” intervention (video and booklet), or the 3) “TALK Social Worker” intervention (video and booklet plus patient and family social worker visits). Outcomes We followed participants for 6 months to assess their self-reported achievement of behaviors reflecting their discussions about LKT and/or pursuit of LKT (discussions with family; discussions with physicians; initiating recipient evaluation; completing recipient evaluation; identifying a potential living donor). Measurements We assessed outcomes via questionnaire at 1, 3, and 6-month follow up. Results Participants receiving Usual Care with their nephrologists (n=44), TALK Education (n=43), and the TALK Social Worker (n=43) were similar at baseline. TALK Study interventions improved participants’ LKT discussion and pursuit behaviors, with the Social Worker leading to greater patient activation (participants’ predicted probability (95% confidence interval) of achieving LKT discussions, evaluations, or donor identification over 6 months in Usual Care, TALK Education, and TALK Social Worker groups: 30% (20%–46%), 42% (33% –54%), and 58% (41% –83%), respectively (p=0.03). Limitations Our population was well educated and mostly insured, potentially limiting generalizability of our findings. Conclusions TALK interventions improved discussion and active pursuit of LKT among patients with progressive CKD and may improve their utilization of pre-emptive LKT.

Background Despite well-publicized guidelines on the appropriate management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes, the implementation of risk-reducing practices remains poor. This paper describes the results of a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a comprehensive program of cardiovascular disease risk reduction delivered by nurse practitioner/community health worker (NP/CHW) teams versus enhanced usual care (EUC) to improve lipids, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and patients’ perceptions of the quality of their chronic illness care in patients in urban community health centers. Methods and Results A total of 525 patients with documented cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertension and levels of LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure or HbA1c that exceeded goals established by national guidelines were randomized to NP/CHW (n=261) or EUC (n=264) groups. The NP/CHW intervention included aggressive pharmacologic management and tailored educational and behavioral counseling for lifestyle modification and problem solving to address barriers to adherence and control. As compared to EUC, patients in the NP/CHW group had significantly greater 12 month improvement in total cholesterol (difference, 19.7mg/dL), LDL cholesterol (difference,15.9 mg/dL), triglycerides (difference, 16.3 mg/dL), systolic blood pressure (difference, 6.2 mm Hg), diastolic blood pressure (difference, 3.1 mm Hg), HbA1c (difference, 0.5%), and perceptions of the quality of their chronic illness care (difference, 1.2 points). Conclusions An intervention delivered by a NP/CHW team using individualized treatment regimens based on treat-to-target algorithms can be an effective approach to improve risk factor status and perceptions of chronic illnes care in high risk patients.

BackgroundAfrican Americans have persistently poor access to living donor kidney transplants (LDKT). We conducted a small randomized trial to provide preliminary evidence of the effect of informational decision support and donor financial assistance interventions on African American hemodialysis patients’ pursuit of LDKT.MethodsStudy participants were randomly assigned to receive (1) Usual Care; (2) the Providing Resources to Enhance African American Patients’ Readiness to Make Decisions about Kidney Disease (PREPARED); or (3) PREPARED plus a living kidney donor financial assistance program. Our primary outcome was patients’ actions to pursue LDKT (discussions with family, friends, or doctor; initiation or completion of the recipient LDKT medical evaluation; or identification of a donor). We also measured participants’ attitudes, concerns, and perceptions of interventions’ usefulness.ResultsOf 329 screened, 92 patients were eligible and randomized to Usual Care (n = 31), PREPARED (n = 30), or PREPARED plus financial assistance (n = 31). Most participants reported interventions helped their decision making about renal replacement treatments (62%). However there were no statistically significant improvements in LDKT actions among groups over 6 months. Further, no participants utilized the living donor financial assistance benefit.ConclusionsFindings suggest these interventions may need to be paired with personal support or navigation services to overcome key communication, logistical, and financial barriers to LDKT.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov [NCT01439516] [August 31, 2011].

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