Our work in living kidney donation is done in partnership with Dr. Seychelle Yohanna, Nephrologist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, and Associate Professor at McMaster University. 

Living Kidney Donor Assessment & Health Equity

A kidney transplant is the best option for people with kidney failure. Transplant recipients live longer and have a better quality of life. The need for kidney transplants continues to rise, and there are not enough deceased donors to meet the need. Having a kidney transplanted from a living donor, like a relative or friend, has many advantages, such as:

better rates of patient survival
better graft survival rates (the kidney keeps working longer after it is transplanted)
shorter wait times to get the surgery
lower healthcare costs as a result of not needing dialysis.

In Canada, about one-third of kidney transplants are from living donors.

Traditionally, living donor candidates must undergo over 30 tests, including lab work, imaging scans, and consultations. These tests are spread over multiple visits and several months. This drawn-out process can be stressful and burdensome. Many donors have expressed frustration over the unpredictable scheduling, frequent travel, and associated costs. These barriers can deter potential donors from donating. 

To address these barriers, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton launched a one-day assessment clinic in 2019, where donors complete most testing in a single day. Inspired by a similar clinic in Northern Ireland, the one-day model offers a more streamlined approach that reduces the time commitment and logistical challenges. Donor candidates who participated in a one-day assessment in Ottawa report that it reduced time away from work, and was easy to navigate. Moreover, potential donors and staff alike praised the efficiency of the one-day model: if the candidate is not able to donate, the recipient can start exploring other options earlier.

Our study focuses on health equity, exploring whether both the one-day and traditional assessment models meet the needs of a diverse range of potential donors. Research has shown that people from some ethnic and racial backgrounds are less likely to donate kidneys or receive transplants from living donors, often due to systemic barriers. Through learning about the experiences of potential donors from multicultural backgrounds, we will identify a broader range of factors that help and hinder when going through the process to donate a kidney. We hope that the findings from this research will identify ways in which both the one-day and traditional living kidney donor assessment can be refined and optimized, better supporting potential donors from all backgrounds.


Study Information Sheet for Patients (download coming soon)

Study Information Sheet for Living Donor Program Staff (download coming soon)