Psychosocial characteristics and satisfaction with healthcare following transplantation

Background: To live with an organ transplant is to live with aspects of acute and chronic illness, including fear, uncertainty, change, and frequent contact with the healthcare system. Previous research highlighted the problem that patients who live with a chronic condition such as transplantation are very dissatisfied with their healthcare. The two goals of the present study were: (1) to identify the level of satisfaction with healthcare experienced by patients with type 1 diabetes who had received either a single kidney or a pancreas and kidney transplant; and (2) to identify sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics related to satisfaction with healthcare in this population. Methods: Forty-seven patients with type 1 diabetes recruited at Notre-Dame Hospital who had received either a kidney (n = 22) or a pancreas-kidney (n = 25) transplant completed a mail survey. A cluster analysis was performed in order to determine the levels and profiles of satisfaction of the patients. Results: Descriptive analyses indicated that patients seemed to have a fairly good overall level of satisfaction with healthcare. Cluster analysis yield two profiles of satisfaction among the patients: a profile of high satisfaction and a profile of moderate satisfaction. High satisfaction with healthcare was associated with better psychosocial adjustment and less psychological distress. Conclusions: Satisfaction with healthcare following transplantation by patients with type 1 diabetes seems to be associated with psychosocial adjustment and psychological status. Even if these results need to be verified with a larger sample, they might encourage healthcare practitioners to pay special attention to patients whose satisfaction with healthcare is low because this attitude seems to be part of patients' global psychosocial status.