Living donation decision making: recipients' concerns and educational needs.

Context: Despite the advantages of living donor transplantation, evidence suggests that some potential recipients with living donors have psychological concerns that prevent them from pursuing living donation. Addressing these concerns through education may increase the rates of living donation.

Objective: To understand the psychological barriers and educational needs of potential kidney recipients regarding living donation.

Potential living kidney donors' health education use and comfort with donation.

Context: Much living kidney donation research focuses on actual donors rather than all donors who are evaluated by the transplant center.

Objective: To determine (1) what concerns and benefits potential donors saw possible from donation, (2) how they educated themselves before contacting the transplant center, and (3) who were the most comfortable donors.

Design: A telephone survey of 91 potential donors before transplant evaluation.