[Information deficits and hesitant acceptance of combined pancreas-kidney transplantation in Germany. A survey at German dialysis centers].

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

The pancreas kidney transplantation (PKTx) currently is the only treatment for cure for patients with diabetes mellitus Type 1. Despite the availability of organs and the need for therapy the PKTx rate is much lower in Germany than it is in the United States. Is this attributable to an information gap?.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A questionnaire contrasting 16 statements pro and con PKTx was sent to 960 dialysis centres in Germany.

RESULTS

397 out of 960 questionnaires were returned, resulting in an response rate of 41.4 %. Regional representation was established. The central argument against combined PKTx was an assumed lack of organs (89 %). Other con-arguments were assuming a long waiting list (60 %), lack of qualified transplantation centres (40 %) and poor long-time transplant function (38 %). The most important moderator variable of the distribution of correct/incorrect answers was the direct contact to a cooperating transplant centre. Respondents with direct contact (n = 230) were significantly (p < 0.05 to < 0.001) more likely to hold correct answers with respect to 14 out of 16 single PKTx-related statements. The size of the dialysis centre as determined by the number of patients treated did not alter the distribution of correct/incorrect answers.

CONCLUSION

The majority of nephrologists treating patients with Type 1 diabetes underestimate the potential of PKTx. More efforts to increase information are necessary.