Many of your patients on the kidney waiting list may have considered living donation as an option, but they may also be unsure about how to proceed. The OPTN/UNOS Patient Affairs Committee identified a need in the transplant community for more information about communicating with family and friends about living donation.
Committee members collaborated with UNOS staff to prepare guidance and make it available. Go to Transplant Living > Living Donation > Discussing Living Donation. We encourage transplant centers to pass along this information to patients, families, and potential living donors.
Proceeding sensibly
Today, many of our conversations take place online. Social networking enables people to communicate easily and quickly with people around the world, but patients must proceed with caution and common sense. Patients should educate themselves before contacting Facebook friends or Twitter followers to discuss living donation. They should also consider possible legal and privacy issues that may arise, and plan accordingly. We encourage patients and potential living donors to always discuss these issues thoroughly with the transplant team first.
