Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary self-management education programme for kidney transplant recipients in Thailand

Abstract

Background:Multidisciplinary teams play an important role in educating kidney transplant recipients and their families on ongoing self-management.Aim:To measure the knowledge of transplant recipients before and after participation in a multidisciplinary education program in Thailand.Methods:A quasi-experimental before and after study design was used to explore change in 50 recipients' knowledge following program completion. Study outcomes were analysed using descriptive statistics, differences in patient knowledge before and after programme completion were compared using paired t-tests and group differences using the Mann-Whitney U Test.Findings:There was a significant increase in total knowledge scores (baseline M=14.70, SD=2.70 vs follow-up M=18.46, SD=0.89; t =-9.46, p<0.01), and understanding of kidney transplant care (baseline M=3.74, SD=0.92 vs follow-up M=4.34, SD=0.65; t =-3.90, p<0.01) and immunosuppressive drugs (baseline M=6.10, SD=1.94 vs follow-up M=8.94, SD=0.24, t=-10.29, p<0.01). Being aged younger than, or older and equal to, 40 years was the only patient characteristic associated with statistically significant differences in patient knowledge following programme completion (t =195.00, p=0.02).Conclusion:Multidisciplinary education programmes are effective, however innovative approaches to educating older adults need further exploration.