Donating a Kidney to a Stranger: Are Healthcare Professionals Facilitating the Journey? Results From the BOUnD Study.

Unspecified kidney donors (UKDs) are approached cautiously by some transplant professionals. The aim of this study was to interrogate the views of UK transplant professionals towards UKDs and identify potential barriers. A purposely designed questionnaire was validated, piloted and distributed amongst transplant professionals at each of the 23 UK transplant centres.

Understanding barriers and outcomes of unspecified (non-directed altruistic) kidney donation from both professional's and patient's perspectives: research protocol for a national multicentre mixed-methods prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Living donation accounts for over one-third of all kidney transplants taking place in the UK. The concept of anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger (non-directed altruistic or unspecified kidney donation (UKD)) remains uncomfortable for some clinicians, principally due to concerns about the motivations and long-term physical and psychological outcomes in this donor group.

Aims: The research programme aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the unspecified donor programme in the UK.