Background: Awareness about kidney disease and knowledge regarding the option of transplantation is often lacking among the care givers of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study the knowledge, attitude and perception about kidney disease was assessed in care givers of CKD patients.
Material and Method: A format of 33 questions of was developed, based on related published surveys, for assessing spectrum of kidney disease. This was administered by an interviewer. It had 3 major heads as Knowledge on kidney disease (9 items) & transplantation (10 items), and Attitude (6 items) with Perception (8 items), abbreviating as KAP, towards transplantation. For each question there was 3 answering options (yes/no/don’t know) indicating agree/disagree/no idea or in some cases optimum understanding/ some understanding/no idea. The allocated score was 4/2/0 respectively for each mode of answer. Score was expressed as percentage of group maximum. Higher score indicated good KAP. The accompanying care givers attending in a tertiary renal care facility outpatient department and dialysis unit were included in this pilot survey. The term care giver meant those who were spouse, children, relatives or friends accompanying the CKD patients for considerable time in patient management and decision making as agreed upon by the patient.
Result: In 40 care givers 22 were from CKD patients and 18 belonged to maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) subjects. The mean KAP score for all 25 scoring items (59±24) and separately for knowledge of kidney disease (70±32), transplantation (47±30), attitude (71±24) and perception (50±31) showed a specifically low score towards knowledge for transplantation. Further comparison between CKD versus MHD caregivers showed they were matched for age (52±17 vs. 54±15 years, P=NS). The score of knowledge for kidney diseases scored from 50±31 vs. 93±12, (p<0.001); knowledge for transplantation 37±30 vs. 60±25, (p<0.001); attitude towards transplantation 70±24 vs. 72±26, (P=NS) and perception on transplantation 38±30 vs. 64±26, (p<0.001). The mean total score of all categories was 49±24 vs. 72±17,
Conclusion: Knowledge, attitude and perception about kidney disease and renal transplantation among care givers of CKD patients’ altogether is low. Care givers of dialysis patients are more oriented and knowledgeable than those of CKD subjects. Early awareness and educational programs may help and prepare predialysis CKD patients for opting transplantation as a viable and better alternative to dialysis.