Effect of Counseling on Liver Transplantation Recipients Compliance with Therapeutic Regimen

Back ground: Counseling is the process of helping a patient to recognize and cope with stressful psychological or social problems, to develop improved interpersonal relationships and to promote personal growth. It involves providing emotional, intellectual, and psychological support to patients. The aim of this study: was to assess the effect of counseling on liver transplant recipient through the following: Assessing recipient’s needs as regarded to; physical, psychological, spiritual and social. Planning and implementing the counseling sessions based on need assessment. Evaluating the effect of counseling sessions on liver transplant recipient’s therapeutic compliance. Research design: A quasi experimental design was utilized to meet the aim of the study. Setting: The study was conducted in liver transplantation outpatient clinic at El Manial specialized Cairo University hospital. Subjects: A purposive sample, of 40 patients post LT surgery from the LT outpatient clinic. Tools: LT recipient's needs assessment regarding physical, psychological, social and spiritual information related to LT and evaluation of levels of LT recipient's compliance pre and post counseling sessions. After construction of the tool, it was evaluated by 9 expertise in the field of this study for content validity, face validity and reliability of the tool. Results: There were high statistical significant difference between patients under study pre and post counseling sessions regarding their compliance with the therapeutic regimen. Conclusion: there was a satisfactory level of information post counseling sessions among LT recipients. Recommendations: counseling programs for patients undergoing liver transplantation should start from admission to the hospital tell discharge.