The Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Outreach Renal Transplant Workshop Coordinator for First Nations People of Queensland, was looking for an effective hands-on education tool to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients about kidney transplants. They were looking to help to increase patients' understanding of the processes surrounding treatment of kidney disease and encourage better early intervention and primary care and as a result reduce the numbers that rely on dialysis.

The Case

Kidney disease is a major health issue in Indigenous communities, approximately 95% of chronic kidney disease patients at North West Hospital and Health Service in Mount Isa are of Indigenous heritage.

The Solution

It was proposed to conduct face-to-face meetings with these indigenous communities to educate potential transplant recipients and increase awareness about kidney disease. It was requested that ACCISS create a 3D-printed model of the kidneys that could be taken along to explain
surgery, kidney location and transplant location.

The Outcome

To date, the models have travelled to communities in Townsville and Mount Isa, resulting in a successful transplant as well as six patients actively awaiting a match.

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