Exploring Immunosuppressant Medication Adherence in Kidney Transplant Patients

To describe the beliefs, understanding and experience of immunosuppressant medication adherence in our current transplant patient population through a series of patient focus groups

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Adherence, Medication; Transplantation, Kidney
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Focus group

Detailed Description

The investigators want to understand more about why some of our kidney transplant patients find it difficult to take their anti-rejection medicines as intended. It is hoped that if the investigators can improve their understanding of why some patients struggle with their anti-rejection medicines, the investigators will be able to find better ways to help our transplant patients and so fewer patients may develop problems with their transplant. This study will collect qualitative data from a series of focus groups with kidney transplant recipients to explore their beliefs, understanding and experience of anti-rejection medication adherence. The focus groups will also explore the support that participants have received to help them with their medication adherence and what support they feel should be available to them and to others in the future to optimise anti-rejection medication adherence in transplant patients. Five focus groups will be undertaken. Each focus group will include six patients and will last for approximately 1.5 hours. All participants will be kidney transplant recipients transplanted and followed up at Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 26

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom, W12 0HS
    • Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Kidney transplant patients

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Kidney transplant recipients transplanted and under the active follow up of ICRTC.
• Speak and understand English
• 18 years and above

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to speak and understand English
• Below 18 years

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Focus group; Focus group to explore immunosuppressant medication adherence in kidney transplant patients	Behavioral: Focus group; Kidneys transplant patients will discuss their attitudes and beliefs towards immunosuppressant medication adherence

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Kidney Transplant Patients Who Expressed an Understanding of the Term Immunosuppression Medication Adherence and the Importance Immunosuppression Medication Adherence Post Transplant	Through a series of focus groups, the investigators will qualitatively explore kidney transplant patients' understanding of the terms immunosuppressant medication adherence and nonadherence. What importance do patients attach to adherence. Do patients understand that nonadherence may effect the outcome of the transplant. The focus groups will identify the common practical and perceptual barriers to adherence identified by transplant patients and the interventions kidney transplant patients have used to try and improve their adherence. The focus groups will identify which interventions patients have found effective and which interventions patients have not found to be effective to improve their adherence. They will also identify support patients have had with adherence since their transplant, the support patients feel could have helped them to better adhere to their medicines up to now and the support our patients feel would help them to adhere better to their medicines in the future	4 months
Number of Kidney Transplant Patients Who Identified Interventions to Support Immunosuppressant Medication Adherence	Through a series of focus groups, the investigators will qualitatively explore kidney transplant patients' understanding of the terms immunosuppressant medication adherence and nonadherence. What importance do patients attach to adherence. Do patients understand that nonadherence may effect the outcome of the transplant. The focus groups will identify the common practical and perceptual barriers to adherence identified by transplant patients and the interventions kidney transplant patients have used to try and improve their adherence. The focus groups will identify which interventions patients have found effective and which interventions patients have not found to be effective to improve their adherence. They will also identify support patients have had with adherence since their transplant, the support patients feel could have helped them to better adhere to their medicines up to now and the support our patients feel would help them to adhere better to their medicines in the future	4 months
Number of Patients Who Identify Barriers to Immunosuppression Medication Adherence	Through a series of focus groups, the investigators will qualitatively explore kidney transplant patients' understanding of the terms immunosuppressant medication adherence and nonadherence. What importance do patients attach to adherence. Do patients understand that nonadherence may effect the outcome of the transplant. The focus groups will identify the common practical and perceptual barriers to adherence identified by transplant patients and the interventions kidney transplant patients have used to try and improve their adherence. The focus groups will identify which interventions patients have found effective and which interventions patients have not found to be effective to improve their adherence. They will also identify support patients have had with adherence since their transplant, the support patients feel could have helped them to better adhere to their medicines up to now and the support our patients feel would help them to adhere better to their medicines in the future	4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Imperial College London
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dawn Goodall, MSC, BSc, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 8, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 20, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): June 20, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 25, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 4, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): June 6, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 25, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Kidney transplantation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 16HH3697

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: IPD will not be shared

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No