Virtual Nephrologist

Over 35 million Americans endure the burdens of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Black Americans face particularly high rates of CKD due to environmental and genetic factors, including systemic racism and inadequate access to specialty providers and effective therapies. The optimal management of advanced CKD poses many challenges for patients, especially those with low health literacy, because of the complexity of medical management and treatment options. For many patients with advanced CKD, pursuing kidney transplantation has major advantages. Compared to chronic dialysis, kidney transplantation improves quality of life and length of life, and offers greater capacity to participate in important activities such as employment. Unfortunately, many patients do not gain sufficient information about kidney transplant or have misconceptions and fears about transplant. This knowledge gap exists in part because many patients have limited access to nephrology care and due to time constraints and ineffective education during nephrology visits. New media technologies can address this need by enabling patients to interact with a virtual health care assistant that both empowers patients to direct the communication toward their own information needs and communicates with patients using language and norms that are comfortable. The study team will develop a virtual healthcare assistant to interact with, educate and counsel patients and their caregivers about kidney transplantation. The tool will provide content developed by the National Kidney Foundation, the leading patient-facing organization focused on kidney disease. Informed by patient partnerships, the tool will address in particular the needs and concerns of Black Americans with kidney disease.