Implementing a tailored education programme: renal transplant recipients’ experiences

Abstract

Background: Patient-centred education is a key element in the care of patients undergoing kidney transplantation. We implemented a tailored, evidence-based education programme for the post-transplant phase. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore renal transplant recipients’ experiences of participating in a new, tailored, evidence-based education programme. Methods: An explorative qualitative design was chosen to elicit knowledge, insight and understanding of the renal transplant recipients’ perspectives. Twelve renal transplant recipients participated in semi-structured interviews about eight weeks post-transplant. The interviews were audiotaped and analysed using thematic data analysis inspired by Kvale and Brinkmann's method for meaning condensation. Findings: Two main themes emerged: ‘Situated tailoring to the person's everyday life knowledge’, and ‘Tailoring as a standard procedure regardless of the person’. Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that the renal transplant recipients experienced the new education programme to be tailored to individual needs. Our study also revealed that the recipients experienced the health care personnel to take different considerations into account when educating. Viewing knowledge as continuously changing from controlled study contexts into clinical settings, we here demonstrate the need to evaluate new knowledge also after being implemented.