Pilot Study of the Liver Live Donor Champion Program

In the United States, more than 13,000 patients are on the waiting list to receive a liver
transplant. Although more than 6,000 liver transplants are performed every year, at least
1,700 patients die each year while on the waiting list. Livers are allocated to patients
based on how sick the participants are, with sicker patients receiving priority.

Living donation offers patients the option of transplant before patients get very sick,
significantly decreasing the time patients wait for a liver. Livers from living donors are
usually of excellent quality because donors are evaluated extensively and only allowed to
donate if patients are in very good health. Living donation not only saves the life of the
liver transplant candidate but also frees up a liver for a patient on the waiting list who
does not have that option.

A number of studies have attempted to understand barriers to finding a living donor. Multiple
surveys have suggested that the educational needs are not met for both transplant candidates
and potential donors. Furthermore, lack of knowledge and understanding of the consequences of
donation may aggravate candidate fear of donor risks, contributing to candidate reluctance in
allowing friends or family to donate. Finally, having an inadequate communication skill set
in how to ask someone to donate is one of the most prevalent barriers reported by transplant
candidates.

A "Live Donor Champion" (LDC) is a friend, family member, or community member who serves as
an advocate for the candidate in participants' pursuit of living donation. Investigators'
center has previously developed a six-month program that provides education and advocacy
training to kidney transplant candidates and participants' LDCs; however, no program
currently exists for liver transplant candidates.

The instrumental support provided by the LDC from investigators' kidney program bridges a
critical link between education and action. In pilot studies, candidates with an LDC were
more likely to undergo live donor kidney transplantation than matched controls.

In this pilot study, investigators plan to enroll liver transplant candidates and
participants' LDCs for an abridged two- or three-month program that provides education and
advocacy training in order to expand access to live donor liver transplantation.
Investigators have created two versions of the same program and based on feedback from
participants and staff, investigators aim to analyze the efficacy of the Liver Liver Donor
Champion program on this patient population.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Active candidate on the liver transplant waitlist.

- Have no potential living donors at the time of study enrollment.

- Have not had a previous transplant

- be 18 years or older

- be English speaking

- Mentally capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Age less than 18 years old

- Has potential live donor candidates

- non-English speaking

- Previous liver transplant

- Listed for multiple organs