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Quality of life, risk assessment, and safety research in liver transplantation

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we briefly summarize three fruitful, emerging areas in liver transplantation research, quality of life; risk assessment; and patient safety. Our goal is to highlight recent findings in these areas, with a call for increased integration of social scientists and transplant clinicians to address how best to shape policy and improve outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: After liver transplantation, recipients generally experience clinically significant, sustained improvement in their physical, social and emotional well being. However, a sizeable minority of patients do experience excess morbidity that may benefit from ongoing surveillance and/or intervention. There is growing body of research that describes risks associated with liver transplantation, which can be useful aids to better inform decision making by patients, clinicians, payers, and policy makers. In contrast, there has been a relative lack of empirical data on transplant patient safety vulnerabilities, placing the field of surgery in stark contrast to other high-risk industries, wherein such assessments inform continuous process improvement. SUMMARY: Health services and outcomes research has grown in importance in the liver transplantation literature, but several important questions remain unanswered that merit programmatic, interdisciplinary research.

Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation

DOI: 10.1097/mot.0b013e32835365c6

Authors: Zeeshan Butt, Neehar D. Parikh, Anton I. Skaro, Daniela Ladner, David Cella

Institution: Northwestern University

Language: English

Topic: Organ Transplantation Techniques and Outcomes

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Research Resources