06 Nov Non-Medical Factors Affect Racial Disparities in Kidney Transplant Wait Lists
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Yue-Harn Ng, MD
University of New Mexico
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: African Americans (AA) have a higher incidence of end-stage renal disease but lower rates of kidney transplantation (KT) compared to whites (WH). Disparities persist after adjusting for medical factors. We assessed the relationship of non-medical (eg. cultural, psychosocial, knowledge) factors with kidney transplantation wait-listing (WL) within the context of racial differences.
In this longitudinal cohort study, we found that African American patients were less likely to be wait-listed compared to White patients. This difference was influenced by factors including age, comorbidities, socio-economic status, being on dialysis, having a living donor, transplant knowledge and social support.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: The main take home message in this study is that non-medical factors affect racial disparity in kidney transplant wait-listing hence developing interventions that target psychosocial and cultural factors may help promote equal access to kidney transplant.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: Future studies should focus on factors that impact early time to wait-listing and devise interventions in this population to ensure timely completion of the evaluation process (e.g. fast-track transplant evaluation). Alternative means to ensure the timely completion of transplant evaluation in this population, including the use of navigators to facilitate the completion of the evaluation process, should also be considered
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Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on November 6, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD