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Kidney Week

Abstract: FR-PO950

Disaster Preparation in Kidney Transplant Patients: A Survey-Based Assessment

Session Information

  • Patient Safety
    November 03, 2017 | Location: Hall H, Morial Convention Center
    Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Category: Patient Safety

  • 1501 Patient Safety

Authors

  • Sharief, Shimi, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
  • Freitas, Daniel J., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
  • Adey, Deborah B., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
  • Wiley, James A., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States
Background

Few quantitative assessments have been undertaken to assess the disaster preparedness of kidney transplant patients, a population at risk due to their dependence on immunosuppression. This is a survey-based assessment of the disaster preparedness of a cohort of 200 patients recruited from the UCSF Kidney Transplant clinic.

Methods

We recruited 200 kidney transplant recipients from the waiting room of the transplant clinic. They answered short pencil and paper questionnaires assessing their level of preparedness as well as what barriers they faced in becoming adequately prepared. Preparedness was scored based on the response to 7 different items and an index created. Medical and demographic data was extracted from the clinical chart. We analyzed the data using univariate analyses of different participant characteristics against three tertiles of preparedness – low (scores between 0-2), medium (scores of 3 or 4) and high (scores of 5-7). We created average scores of preparedness for various counties in California and geocoded them on maps created with Google Fusion Tables.

Results

Only 30 percent of patients were highly prepared for disasters. Participants were most prepared in stockpiling medications (78.5%) and least prepared in having a medical ID bracelet that identifies them as transplant patients (13%). A significant minority of patients (at least 40% of patients or more) were unprepared with lists of medications, important phone numbers and disaster kits. There were no major associations between preparedness and different participant characteristics such as age, race, gender, number of years since transplant or various clinical variables including type of immunosuppression or other comorbid conditions. Thirty-one of the 34 counties sampled were from California, of which Monterey County was the most prepared with an average preparedness score of 4.25 (out of 7).

Conclusion

Patients of all demographic and clinical backgrounds should be educated on the importance of disaster preparation. Since most deficiencies in preparedness are in general items, there should be a concerted effort on the part of city and medical services to address specialized populations in general preparedness planning.

Funding

  • NIDDK Support