The following is a summary of “Impact of pandemic mobility restrictions on kidney transplant patients’ experience: lessons on quality of care,” published in the May 2024 issue of Nephrology by Fernando et al.

Patient experiences after surgery are essential healthcare outcomes that may help design interventions for patient-centered healthcare. With the COVID-19 lockdown and no clear guidelines for virtual care for recipients of kidney transplant, it’s unclear how this group coped and followed health guidelines during confinement.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to understand the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on recipients of kidney transplant without clear virtual care guidelines. 

They studied patients from a Spanish hospital during the early weeks of the national lockdown. They analyzed the patient experiences using qualitative data from focus group discussions and quantitative data from a large-scale survey.

The results showed that findings identify opportunities for healthcare to do better and suggest ways to prepare for future pandemics or lockdowns. The study also shed light on how recipients of kidney transplant can receive improved care during restricted mobility periods, like in future emergencies. 

Investigators concluded that these findings equip hospital services to improve the quality of care for patients with kidney transplant during periods of restricted mobility, such as future disease emergencies and post-operative care.

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40620-024-01905-y