Exploring lived experiences of kidney graft loss through narrative podcasting

Introduction: Kidney graft loss is a complex medical event with profound psychosocial consequences for patients and families. Narrative research provides a means of capturing lived experiences that are often absent from clinical data. Previous work has shown that patient stories can be mobilized to improve health care and contribute to the re‑humanization of medicine, counterbalancing the biomedical focus with a deeper understanding of lived experience. The concreteness of individual stories offers a more holistic and contextual view of illness and can also help determine ans authentically patient‑centered agenda in kidney transplant care. In recognition of the benefits of narrative-based research and knowledge dissemination, we produced a podcast—Full Circle: Stories of Losing a Kidney, Again—to explore patient and caregiver experiences of kidney graft loss, identify key narrative themes, and translate these insights into an accessible audio format to support reflective practice and education.
Methods: We conducted semi‑structured narrative interviews with individuals who had experienced kidney graft loss or individuals who are their caregivers (n=12). Each interview was recorded and edited into a cohesive personal narrative. Podcast episodes were developed by integrating narrative excerpts, contextual commentary, and narrative‑based educational framing. The series sought to normalize the experience of graft loss by illustrating how it is lived in different contexts, highlighting the uniqueness of each patient’s journey while also revealing shared struggles, common obstacles, and methods of coping.
Results: From the 12 interviews, we created five podcast episodes, each centered on a core narrative theme: 1) The emotional weight of graft loss (confronting major disappointment; relational dimensions of guilt, blame and gratitude;  2) Facing the limitations of  high sensitization and ineligibility for retransplantation (the medical and emotional challenges associated with limited treatment options); 3) Precarity in kidney transplantation and chronic illness (experiences of unexplained or unexpected graft loss; loss of control; ongoing uncertainty); 4) Lack of compassion and dismissal in healthcare (the importance of advocacy, agency, and self‑determination); and 5) Coping and Adaptation (acceptance and realism, uncertainty, hope).
Conclusion: Narrative‑based podcasting offers a compelling and accessible format for disseminating qualitative insights about kidney graft loss. Our goal is to engage and educate multiple audiences by offering validation and coping strategies for patients and family caregivers, and by providing health care providers with a deeper understanding of patient vulnerability and an opportunity for reflective practice regarding their professional roles and relationships. This approach supports knowledge translation, fosters relational understanding, and complements biomedical perspectives in transplantation. Future work may evaluate its impact in clinical education and patient‑support contexts.