Psychosocial and socioeconomic issues facing the living kidney donor

Abstract

At the 2010 Conference on Living Kidney Donor follow-up, a workgroup was convened to comment on the state of the evidence in 4 broad areas: (a) health-related quality of life postdonation; (b) donors' financial and economic concerns; (c) outcomes issues specific to newer areas of donation, namely, kidney exchange and anonymous (directed and nondirected) donation; and (d) the role of informed consent in relation to postdonation psychosocial outcomes. The workgroup sought to offer recommendations regarding research priorities for the next decade and data collection strategies to accomplish the needed research. The workgroup concluded that there has been little consideration of the nature or predictors of any long-term psychosocial outcomes in living donors. In some areas (eg, kidney exchange and anonymous donation), there is limited information on outcomes even in the early aftermath of donation. Across all 4 psychosocial areas, prospective studies are needed that follow donors to examine the course of development and/or resolution of any donation-related difficulties. The formation of a national registry to routinely collect psychosocial follow-up data may be an efficient strategy to monitor donor outcomes in both the short- and long-term years after donation.