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Andreae DA, Massand S, Dellasega C. The physician experience of patient to provider prejudice (PPtP). Front Public Health 2024; 12:1304107. [PMID: 38469272 PMCID: PMC10925775 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1304107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Patients can demonstrate prejudice and bias toward minoritized physicians in a destructive dynamic identified as PPtP (Patient Prejudice toward Providers). These interactions have a negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of both those who are targeted and those who witness such behaviors. Study purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the PPtP experiences of attending physicians who identify as a minority based on race, ethnicity, citizenship status, or faith preference. Methods Qualitative methodology was used to collect data using in-depth interviews. 15 attending physicians (8 male, 7 female, aged 33-55 years) who identified as minorities based on ethnicity, citizenship status, or faith practices were interviewed individually. Interviews were conducted using a guide validated in previous studies and content analysis was performed by two trained researchers to identify themes. Results Five themes were identified: A Continuum of Offenses, Professional Growth through Adversity, Organizational Issues, Role of Colleagues, and Consequences for Provision of Care. Findings suggest that although attending physicians learned to cope with PPtP, the experience of being treated with bias negatively impacted their well-being and work performance. Attending physicians also felt that white majority medical students sometimes treated them with prejudice but expressed a commitment to protecting vulnerable trainees from PPtP. Conclusion The experience of PPtP occurs consistently throughout a career in medicine, often beginning in the years of training and persisting into the phase of attending status. This makes it imperative to include strategies that address PPtP in order to successfully recruit and retain minoritized physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doerthe A. Andreae
- Section of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Sameer Massand
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Cheryl Dellasega
- Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, United States
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2
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Penninti P, Mohyuddin N, Celaj S, Jonassaint N. Improving access to liver transplantation for underserved patients with cirrhosis. Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2024; 23:e0248. [PMID: 38974752 PMCID: PMC11224841 DOI: 10.1097/cld.0000000000000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
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Bodek DD, Everwine MM, Lunsford KE, Okoronkwo N, Patel PA, Pyrsopoulos N. Racial Disparities in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample From 2007 to 2014. J Clin Gastroenterol 2023; 57:311-316. [PMID: 35180149 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000001675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a deadly disease, with patients' best hope for a cure being liver transplantation; however, access to health care resources, such as donor organs, between ethnic groups has historically been unbalanced. Ensuring equitable access to donor livers is crucial to minimize disparities in HCC outcomes. As a result, we sought to better elucidate the differences in transplantation rates among various ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was utilized to evaluate for disparities in liver transplantation in patients whose primary or secondary diagnosis was recorded as HCC or hepatoma. The study included admissions between 2007 and 2014 to centers with at least 1 documented liver transplant. RESULTS A total of 7244 transplants were performed over 70,406 weighted admissions. Black race was associated with lower transplantation rates, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.46 (95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.51, P <0.01) when accounting for a number of possible confounders including socioeconomic and geographic factors. CONCLUSIONS Our study observed decreased rates of liver transplant in blacks compared with whites for HCC. Furthermore, improved economic status and private insurance had a significantly higher odds ratio for transplantation. Hospital-level studies are needed to clarify confounding factors not apparent in large administrative datasets and help better investigate factors that lead to less optimal transplant rates among blacks. Interventions may include more optimal screening policies and procedures, improved interdisciplinary management, and earlier referrals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keri E Lunsford
- Division of Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery and Center for Immunity and Inflammation
| | - Nneoma Okoronkwo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
| | - Pavan A Patel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ
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4
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Mansour MM, Fard D, Basida SD, Obeidat AE, Darweesh M, Mahfouz R, Ahmad A. Disparities in Social Determinants of Health Among Patients Receiving Liver Transplant: Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample From 2016 to 2019. Cureus 2022; 14:e26567. [PMID: 35936191 PMCID: PMC9350951 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.26567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Liver transplantation is the life-saving standard of care for those with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, many patients on the liver transplant list die waiting. Several studies have demonstrated significant differences based on disparities in race, gender, and multiple socioeconomic factors. We sought to evaluate recent disparities among patients receiving liver transplants using the latest available data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest publicly available inpatient care database in the United States. Methods We performed an analysis of discharge data from the NIS between 2016 and 2019. We identified adult patients with chronic liver disease who underwent a liver transplant using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for differences in race, gender, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities among those who received a liver transplant. Results A total of 24,595 liver transplants were performed over the study period. Female gender was independently associated with decreased transplant rates (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-0.89, P < 0.001). Compared to White patients, Black patients had decreased transplant rates (AOR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.75-0.99, P = 0.034), as did Native Americans (AOR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97, P = 0.035). Hispanics and Asian Americans had increased rates of liver transplantation (AOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.32, P = 0.022, and 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.67, P = 0.003; respectively). The increase in income quartile was associated with an incremental increase in transplant rates. Additionally, patients with private insurance had much higher transplant rates compared to those with Medicare (AOR 2.50, 95% CI 2.31-2.70, P < 0.001) while patients without insurance had the lowest rates of transplantation (AOR 0.18, 95% CI 0.12-0.28, P < 0.001). Conclusions Our analysis demonstrates that race, gender, and other social determinants of health have significant impacts on the likelihood of receiving a liver transplant. Our study, on a national level, confirms previously described disparities in receiving liver transplantation. Patient-level studies are needed to better understand how these variables translate into differing liver transplantation rates.
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5
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Keeling SS, McDonald MF, Anand A, Handing GE, Prather LL, Christmann CR, Jalal PK, Kanwal F, Cholankeril G, Goss JA, Rana A. Significant improvements, but consistent disparities in survival for African Americans after liver transplantation. Clin Transplant 2022; 36:e14646. [PMID: 35304775 PMCID: PMC9310351 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.14646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite improvements in survival across races in the past 20 years, African Americans have worse liver transplant outcomes after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study aims at quantifying the change in disparities between African Americans and other races in survival after OLT. We retrospectively analyzed the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for patient data for candidates who received a liver transplant between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2017. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression indicated similar decreases in mortality over time for each race with a decrease in mortality for African Americans: 2010-2012 (HR = .930), 2012-2015 (HR = .882), and 2015-2017 (HR = .883) when compared to 2007-2010. Risk of mortality for African Americans compared to Caucasians varied across the 4 eras: 2007-2010 (HR = 1.083), 2010-2012 (HR = 1.090), 2012-2015 (HR = 1.070), and 2015-2017 (HR = 1.125). While African Americans have seen increases in survival in the past decade, a similar increase in survival for other races leaves a significant survival disparity in African Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malcolm F. McDonald
- Department of Student Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Adrish Anand
- Department of Student Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Greta E. Handing
- Department of Student Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lyndsey L. Prather
- Department of Student Affairs, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Prasun K. Jalal
- Division of Abdominal Transplant, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fasiha Kanwal
- Division of Abdominal Transplant, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - George Cholankeril
- Division of Abdominal Transplant, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - John A. Goss
- Division of Abdominal Transplant, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Abbas Rana
- Division of Abdominal Transplant, Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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6
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Kemme S, Yoeli D, Sundaram SS, Adams MA, Feldman AG. Decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatr Transplant 2022; 26:e14162. [PMID: 34633127 PMCID: PMC8646490 DOI: 10.1111/petr.14162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of the US healthcare system, including liver transplantation. The objective of this study was to understand national changes to pediatric liver transplantation during COVID-19. METHODS Using SRTR data, we compared waitlist additions, removals, and liver transplantations for pre-COVID-19 (March-November 2016-2019), early COVID-19 (March-May 2020), and late COVID-19 (June-November 2020). RESULTS Waitlist additions decreased by 25% during early COVID-19 (41.3/month vs. 55.4/month, p < .001) with black candidates most affected (p = .04). Children spent longer on the waitlist during early COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 (140 vs. 96 days, p < .001). There was a 38% decrease in liver transplantations during early COVID-19 (IRR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49-0.78), recovering to pre-pandemic rates during late COVID-19 (IRR 1.03, NS), and no change in percentage of living and deceased donors. White children had a 30% decrease in overall liver transplantation but no change in living donor liver transplantation (IRR 0.7, 95% CI 0.50-0.95; IRR 0.96, NS), while non-white children had a 44% decrease in overall liver transplantation (IRR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40-0.77) and 81% decrease in living donor liver transplantation (IRR 0.19, 95% CI 0.02-0.76). CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation, particularly in its early stage. There were no regional differences in liver transplantation during COVID-19 despite the increased national sharing of organs. While pediatric liver transplantation has resumed pre-pandemic levels, ongoing racial disparities must be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kemme
- Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionDigestive Health InstituteUniversity of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Dor Yoeli
- Division of Transplant SurgeryColorado Center for Transplantation Care, Research and EducationUniversity of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Shikha S. Sundaram
- Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionDigestive Health InstituteUniversity of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Megan A. Adams
- Division of Transplant SurgeryColorado Center for Transplantation Care, Research and EducationUniversity of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Amy G. Feldman
- Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and NutritionDigestive Health InstituteUniversity of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and Children's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
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7
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Portrait of Regional Trends in Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in the United States. Am J Gastroenterol 2022; 117:433-444. [PMID: 35083985 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the most common etiologies of liver transplantation (LT) in the United States. We investigated regional trends in waitlist candidates, LT rates, and recipient survival among patients with NASH. METHODS Using the United Network for Organ Sharing database by Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network regions, we investigated waitlist registration, LT rates, and survival for NASH between January 2004 and December 2019. RESULTS The absolute number and percentage of total LT performed for NASH increased substantially in all Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network regions. In 2019, region 11 had the highest percentage of NASH-related LT with 31.4% followed by region 10 (25.3%) and region 8 (23.1%). Between 2015 and 2019, region 5 had the highest rising percentage in LT for NASH at 208%, followed by region 1 (194%) and region 4 (183%). The proportion of NASH hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-HCC) was the highest in region 9 at 37.7% and lowest in region 10 (19.2%), region 3 (20.6%), and region 11 (20.8%). In multivariate analysis, diabetes (HR 1.18, P < 0.001), dialysis before LT (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, P < 0.001), HCC (HR 1.19, P < 0.00), portal vein thrombosis (HR 1.24, P < 0.001), donor age (HR 1.026, P = 0.03), and recipient age (HR 1.24, P = <0.001) were associated with worse survival. DISCUSSION LT for patients with NASH has dramatically increased across all regions since 2004, but with substantial heterogeneity among regions in the proportion with HCC and post-LT survival. Identifying contributing factors to these regional differences is warranted.
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8
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A scoping review of inequities in access to organ transplant in the United States. Int J Equity Health 2022; 21:22. [PMID: 35151327 PMCID: PMC8841123 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01616-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Organ transplant is the preferred treatment for end-stage organ disease, yet the majority of patients with end-stage organ disease are never placed on the transplant waiting list. Limited access to the transplant waiting list combined with the scarcity of the organ pool result in over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States. Patients face unique barriers to referral and acceptance for organ transplant based on social determinants of health, and patients from disenfranchised groups suffer from disproportionately lower rates of transplantation. Our objective was to review the literature describing disparities in access to organ transplantation based on social determinants of health to integrate the existing knowledge and guide future research. Methods We conducted a scoping review of the literature reporting disparities in access to heart, lung, liver, pancreas and kidney transplantation based on social determinants of health (race, income, education, geography, insurance status, health literacy and engagement). Included studies were categorized based on steps along the transplant care continuum: referral for transplant, transplant evaluation and selection, living donor identification/evaluation, and waitlist outcomes. Results Our search generated 16,643 studies, of which 227 were included in our final review. Of these, 34 focused on disparities in referral for transplantation among patients with chronic organ disease, 82 on transplant selection processes, 50 on living donors, and 61 on waitlist management. In total, 15 studies involved the thoracic organs (heart, lung), 209 involved the abdominal organs (kidney, liver, pancreas), and three involved multiple organs. Racial and ethnic minorities, women, and patients in lower socioeconomic status groups were less likely to be referred, evaluated, and added to the waiting list for organ transplant. The quality of the data describing these disparities across the transplant literature was variable and overwhelmingly focused on kidney transplant. Conclusions This review contextualizes the quality of the data, identifies seminal work by organ, and reports gaps in the literature where future research on disparities in organ transplantation should focus. Future work should investigate the association of social determinants of health with access to the organ transplant waiting list, with a focus on prospective analyses that assess interventions to improve health equity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12939-021-01616-x.
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9
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Helzberg JH, Parish A, Niedzwiecki D, Kim CY, Patel YA, Wilder JM, Muir AJ. Racial disparities in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure outcomes. BMJ Open Gastroenterol 2022; 9:bmjgast-2021-000747. [PMID: 35086849 PMCID: PMC8796249 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgast-2021-000747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure is an important intervention for management of complications of portal hypertension. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of mortality from the TIPS procedure with a focus on race and ethnicity. Design TIPS procedures from 2012 to 2014 in the National Inpatient Sample were identified. Weighting was applied to generate nationally representative results. In-hospital mortality was the primary outcome of interest. χ2 and Student’s t-tests were performed for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Predictors of mortality following TIPS were assessed by survey-weighted logistic regression. Results 17 175 (95% CI 16 254 to 18 096) TIPS cases were identified. Approximately 71% were non-Hispanic (NH) white, 6% were NH black, 16% were Hispanic and 7% were other. NH black patients undergoing TIPS had an in-hospital mortality rate of 20.1%, nearly double the in-hospital mortality of any other racial or ethnic group. NH black patients also had significantly longer median postprocedure and total lengths of stay (p=0.03 and p<0.001, respectively). The interaction of race by clinical indication was a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (p<0.001). NH black patients had increased mortality compared with other racial/ethnic groups when presenting with bleeding oesophageal varices (OR 3.85, 95% CI 2.14 to 6.95). Conclusion This cohort study presents important findings in end-stage liver disease care, with clear racial disparities in in-hospital outcomes following the TIPS procedure. Specifically, black patients had significantly higher in-hospital mortality and longer lengths of stay. Further research is needed to understand how we can better care for black patients with liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Helzberg
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alice Parish
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Donna Niedzwiecki
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charles Y Kim
- Department of Radiology, Division of Interventional Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yuval A Patel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Julius M Wilder
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew J Muir
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA .,Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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10
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Huang DC, Fricker ZP, Alqahtani S, Tamim H, Saberi B, Bonder A. The influence of equitable access policies and socioeconomic factors on post-liver transplant survival. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 41:101137. [PMID: 34585128 PMCID: PMC8452797 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Survival following liver transplant (LT) is influenced by a variety of factors, including donor risk factors and recipient disease burden and co-morbidities. It is difficult to separate these effects from those of socioeconomic factors, such as income or insurance. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) created equitable access policies, such as Share 35, to ensure that organs are distributed to individuals with greatest medical need; however, the effect of Share 35 on disparities in post-LT survival is not clear. This study aimed to (1) characterize associations between post-transplant survival and race and ethnicity, income, insurance, and citizenship status, when adjusted for other clinical and demographic factors that may influence survival, and (2) determine if the direction of associations changed after Share 35. METHODS A retrospective, cohort study of adult LT recipients (n = 83,254) from the UNOS database from 2005 to 2019 was conducted. Kaplan-Meier survival graphs and stepwise multivariate cox-regression analyses were performed to characterize the effects of socioeconomic status on post-LT survival, adjusted for recipient and donor characteristics, across the time period and after Share 35. FINDINGS Male sex (HR: 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.96)), private insurance (0.91 (0.88-0.94)), income (0.82 (0.79-0.85)), U.S. citizenship, and Asian (0.81 (0.75-0.88)) or Hispanic (0.82 (0.79-0.86)) race and ethnicity were associated with higher post-transplant survival, after adjustment for clinical and demographic factors (Table 3). These associations were found across the entire time period studied and many persisted after the implementation of Share 35 in 2013 (Table 3; male sex (0.84 (0.79-0.90)), private insurance (0.94 (0.89-1.00)), income (0.82 (0.77-0.89)), and Asian (0.87 (0.73-1.02)) or Hispanic (0.88 (0.81-0.96)) race and ethnicity). INTERPRETATION Recipients' socioeconomic factors at time of transplant may impact long-term post-transplant survival, and a single policy may not significantly alter these structural health inequalities. FUNDING None.
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Key Words
- DDLT, deceased donor living transplant
- DM, diabetes mellitus
- DRI, donor risk index
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCV, hepatitis c virus
- HE, hepatic encephalopathy
- Health disparities
- IQR, interquartile range
- IRB, institutional review board
- LT, liver transplant
- Liver transplant
- MELD, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease
- NAFLD, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- OPTN, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
- STAR, Standard Transplant Analysis and Research
- Socioeconomic factors
- UNOS, United Network for Organ Sharing
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora C Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Zachary P Fricker
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Saleh Alqahtani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hani Tamim
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Behnam Saberi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alan Bonder
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Corresponding author.
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11
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Malespin M, May EJ, Nephew LD, Paul S, McCary A, Kilaru S, Mukhtar NA, Hassan MA, Brady CW. AASLD Deepens Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Hepatology 2021; 74:2216-2225. [PMID: 34028073 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lauren D Nephew
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Sonali Paul
- Section of Gastroenterology Center for Liver Diseases, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Alexis McCary
- Department of Gastroenterology, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Upper Marlboro, MD
| | - Saikiran Kilaru
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Nizar A Mukhtar
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Mohamed A Hassan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Carla W Brady
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University, Durham, NC
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12
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Rosenblatt R, Wahid N, Halazun KJ, Kaplan A, Jesudian A, Lucero C, Lee J, Dove L, Fox A, Verna E, Samstein B, Fortune BE, Brown RS. Black Patients Have Unequal Access to Listing for Liver Transplantation in the United States. Hepatology 2021; 74:1523-1532. [PMID: 33779992 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score may have eliminated racial disparities on the waitlist for liver transplantation (LT), but disparities prior to waitlist placement have not been adequately quantified. We aimed to analyze differences in patients who are listed for LT, undergo transplantation, and die from end-stage liver disease (ESLD), stratified by state and race/ethnicity. APPROACH AND RESULTS We analyzed two databases retrospectively, the Center for Disease Control Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) databases, from 2014 to 2018. We included patients aged 25-64 years who had a primary cause of death of ESLD and were listed for transplant in the CDC WONDER or UNOS database. Our primary outcome was the ratio of listing for LT to death from ESLD-listing to death ratio (LDR). Our secondary outcome was the transplant to listing and transplant to death ratios. Chi-squared and multivariable linear regression evaluated for differences between races/ethnicities. There were 135,367 patients who died of ESLD, 54,734 patients who were listed for transplant, and 26,571 who underwent transplant. Patients were mostly male and White. The national LDR was 0.40, significantly lowest in Black patients (0.30), P < 0.001. The national transplant to listing ratio was 0.48, highest in Black patients (0.53), P < 0.01. The national transplant to death ratio was 0.20, lowest in Black patients (0.16), P < 0.001. States that had an above-mean LDR had a lower transplant to listing ratio but a higher transplant to death ratio. Multivariable analysis confirmed that Black race is significantly associated with a lower LDR and transplant to death ratio. CONCLUSIONS Black patients face a disparity in access to LT due to low listing rates for transplant relative to deaths from ESLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Rosenblatt
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY
| | - Nabeel Wahid
- New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Karim J Halazun
- Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY.,Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Alyson Kaplan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Arun Jesudian
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY
| | - Catherine Lucero
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY
| | - Jihui Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Lorna Dove
- Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY.,Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Alyson Fox
- Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY.,Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Elizabeth Verna
- Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY.,Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Benjamin Samstein
- Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY.,Liver Transplant and HPB Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Brett E Fortune
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY
| | - Robert S Brown
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.,Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, New York, NY
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13
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Waitlist Mortality and Posttransplant Outcomes in African Americans with Autoimmune Liver Diseases. J Transplant 2021; 2021:6692049. [PMID: 34394979 PMCID: PMC8357471 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6692049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Liver transplantation is indicated in end-stage liver disease due to autoimmune diseases. The liver allocation system can be affected by disparities such as decreased liver transplant referrals for racial minorities, especially African Americans that negatively impact the pre- and posttransplant outcomes. Aim To determine differences in waitlist survival and posttransplant graft survival rates between African American and Caucasian patients with autoimmune liver diseases. Study. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was used to identify all patients with autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis who underwent liver transplant from 1988 to 2019. We compared waitlist survival and posttransplant graft survival between Caucasians and African Americans using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models. We also evaluated the cumulative incidence of death or delisting for deterioration and posttransplant incidence of death and retransplantation using competing risk analysis. Results African Americans were more likely to be removed from the waitlist for death or clinical deterioration (subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) 1.26, 95% CI 1–1.58, P=0.046) using competing risk analysis. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, there was no difference in posttransplant graft survival among the two groups (hazard ratio (HR) 1.10, 95% CI 0.98–1.23, P=0.081). Conclusions Despite the current efforts to reduce racial disparities, we found that African Americans are more likely to die on the waitlist for liver transplant and are less likely to be transplanted, with no differences in graft survival rates. The persistence of healthcare disparities continues to negatively impact African Americans.
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14
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Mazumder NR, Simpson D, Atiemo K, Jackson K, Zhao L, Daud A, Kho A, Gabra LG, Caicedo JC, Levitsky J, Ladner DP. Black Patients With Cirrhosis Have Higher Mortality and Lower Transplant Rates: Results From a Metropolitan Cohort Study. Hepatology 2021; 74:926-936. [PMID: 34128254 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Estimates of racial disparity in cirrhosis have been limited by lack of large-scale, longitudinal data, which track patients from diagnosis to death and/or transplant. APPROACH AND RESULTS We analyzed a large, metropolitan, population-based electronic health record data set from seven large health systems linked to the state death registry and the national transplant database. Multivariate competing risk analyses, adjusted for sex, age, insurance status, Elixhauser score, etiology of cirrhosis, HCC, portal hypertensive complication, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na), examined the relationship between race, transplant, and cause of death as defined by blinded death certificate review. During the study period, 11,277 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom 2,498 (22.2%) identified as Black. Compared to White patients, Black patients had similar age, sex, MELD-Na, and proportion of alcohol-associated liver disease, but higher comorbidity burden, lower rates of private insurance, and lower rates of portal hypertensive complications. Compared to White patients, Black patients had the highest rate all-cause mortality and non-liver-related death and were less likely to be listed or transplanted (P < 0.001 for all). In multivariate competing risk analysis, Black patients had a 26% increased hazard of liver-related death (subdistribution HR, 1.26; 95% CI, [1.15-1.38]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Black patients with cirrhosis have discordant outcomes. Further research is needed to determine how to address these real disparities in the field of hepatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhilesh R Mazumder
- Department of Gastroenterology and HepatologyNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL.,Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL
| | - Dinee Simpson
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Division of TransplantDepartment of SurgeryNorthwestern MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Kofi Atiemo
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Tulane Abdominal Transplant InstituteDepartment of SurgeryTulane University School of MedicineNew OrleansLA
| | - Kathryn Jackson
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine-Center for Health Information PartnershipsNorthwestern University, Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Lihui Zhao
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Department of Preventative MedicineNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Amna Daud
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL
| | - Abel Kho
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Institute for Public Health and Medicine-Center for Health Information PartnershipsNorthwestern University, Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Lauren G Gabra
- Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Juan C Caicedo
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Division of TransplantDepartment of SurgeryNorthwestern MedicineChicagoIL
| | - Josh Levitsky
- Department of Gastroenterology and HepatologyNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicagoIL.,Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL
| | - Daniela P Ladner
- Comprehensive Transplant CenterNorthwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative (NUTORC)ChicagoIL.,Division of TransplantDepartment of SurgeryNorthwestern MedicineChicagoIL
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15
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Nephew LD, Serper M. Racial, Gender, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Liver Transplantation. Liver Transpl 2021; 27:900-912. [PMID: 33492795 DOI: 10.1002/lt.25996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Liver transplantation (LT) is a life-saving therapy; therefore, equitable distribution of this scarce resource is of paramount importance. We searched contemporary literature on racial, gender, and socioeconomic disparities across the LT care cascade in referral, waitlist practices, allocation, and post-LT care. We subsequently identified gaps in the literature and future research priorities. Studies found that racial and ethnic minorities (Black and Hispanic patients) have lower rates of LT referral, more advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma at diagnosis, and are less likely to undergo living donor LT (LDLT). Gender-based disparities were observed in waitlist mortality and LT allocation. Women have lower LT rates after waitlisting, with size mismatch accounting for much of the disparity. Medicaid insurance has been associated with higher rates of chronic liver disease and poor waitlist outcomes. After LT, some studies found lower overall survival among Black compared with White recipients. Studies have also shown lower literacy and limited educational attainment were associated with increased posttransplant complications and lower use of digital technology. However, there are notable gaps in the literature on disparities in LT. Detailed population-based estimates of the advanced liver disease burden and LT referral and evaluation practices, including for LDLT, are lacking. Similarly, little is known about LT disparities worldwide. Evidence-based strategies to improve access to care and reduce disparities have not been comprehensively identified. Prospective registries and alternative "real-world" databases can provide more detailed information on disease burden and clinical practices. Modeling and simulation studies can identify ways to reduce gender disparities attributed to size or inaccurate estimation of renal function. Mixed-methods studies and clinical trials should be conducted to reduce care disparities across the transplant continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren D Nephew
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Marina Serper
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
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16
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Bayable A, Ohabughiro M, Cheung R, Wong RJ. Ethnicity-Specific Differences in Liver Transplant Outcomes Among Adults With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: 2005-2017 United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2021; 11:30-36. [PMID: 33679046 PMCID: PMC7897847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Lack of effective medical therapies for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) leads to continued disease progression to end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation (LT). Few studies have specifically evaluated whether ethnic disparities in LT outcomes exist among adults awaiting LT. We aimed to evaluate ethnicity-specific differences in LT outcomes among adults with PSC in the US. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated US adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with PSC without hepatocellular carcinoma listed for LT using the 2005-2017 United Network for Organ Sharing database. Ethnicity-specific differences in overall waitlist survival and probability of receiving LT were evaluated using competing risks regression analyses and adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Overall survival after LT was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Among 4046 patients with PSC listed for LT (69.2% men, 82.2% non-Hispanic white, 12.4% African American, 3.9% Hispanic, 1.6% Asian), significantly higher risk of waitlist death was men vs. women (Standardized hazard ratio (SHR) = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.05-2.12, P = 0.025), but no ethnicity-specific differences were observed. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics had significantly lower probability of receiving LT (SHR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-0.98, P = 0.035). Among patients with PSC and end-stage liver disease who underwent LT, African Americans had significantly higher risk of post-LT death compared with non-Hispanic whites (SHR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.21-2.32, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Among a large cohort of US adults with PSC awaiting LT, significant ethnicity-specific disparities in LT outcomes were observed. Lower probability of LT in Hispanics and significantly higher risk of post-LT death in African Americans were observed.
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Key Words
- ESLD, End-Stage Liver Disease
- HCC, Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- HE, Hepatic Encephalopathy
- HR, Hazards Ratio
- IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- LT, Liver Transplantation
- MELD, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease
- PSC, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
- UNOS, United Network for Organ Sharing
- UNOS/OPTN
- WL, Waitlist
- ethnicity
- liver transplantation
- primary sclerosing cholangitis
- survival
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Affiliation(s)
- Asnakech Bayable
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Michael Ohabughiro
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Ramsey Cheung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Robert J. Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA, USA,Address for correspondence. Robert J. Wong, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Alameda Health System – Highland Hospital 1411 East 31st Street Highland Hospital – Highland Care Pavilion 5th Floor Endoscopy Unit Oakland, CA, 94602, USA.
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17
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Darden M, Parker G, Anderson E, Buell JF. Persistent sex disparity in liver transplantation rates. Surgery 2020; 169:694-699. [PMID: 32782116 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have demonstrated that there are sex disparities in the rate of liver transplantation. However, little is known statistically about whether this disparity is caused by liver compartment size, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease adjustments, or regional differences. METHODS We use retrospective data from the United Network for Organ Sharing Standard Treatment Analysis and Research data files for liver transplantation from 1995 through 2012. The final sample consists of 150,149 patients. These data contain information on all individuals who registered for the liver transplant waiting list as well as updated outcome data. Linear probability and logistic regression models were both used. RESULTS Women were 4.8 percentage points less likely to receive a transplant. Adjustment for race, weight, body mass index, region, education, and other characteristics attenuated the sex difference by roughly 19% (from 4.8 to 3.9 percentage points). The disparity was consistent across the 11 United Network for Organ Sharing allocation regions. Comparing the heaviest women to the lightest men, the disparity flipped. Pairwise comparisons between men and women of various sizes suggest that disparities in favor of men increase with the ratio of male-to-female size. CONCLUSION Our results document persistent sex disparity in liver transplantation, only 19% of which is explained by size differentials between men and women. Differences in rates of transplantation are increasing in the ratio of male-to-female height and weight, suggesting that some of the disparity is explained by differences in liver compartment size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Darden
- Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
| | - Geoff Parker
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
| | - Edward Anderson
- Healthcare Innovation Initiative, University of Texas, Austin, TX
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18
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Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Access and Outcomes of Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant Among Liver Transplant Candidates With Renal Dysfunction in the United States. Transplantation 2020; 103:1663-1674. [PMID: 30720678 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000002574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) allocation system was implemented, the proportion of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLKT) has increased significantly. However, whether racial/ethnic disparities exist in access to SLKT and post-SLKT survival remains understudied. METHODS A retrospective cohort of patients aged ≥18 years with renal dysfunction on the liver transplant (LT) waiting list was obtained from Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Renal dysfunction was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m at listing for LT. Multilevel time-to-competing-events regression adjusting for center effect was used to examine the likelihood of receiving SLKT. Inverse probability of treatment weighted survival analyses were used to analyze posttransplant mortality outcomes. RESULTS For patients with renal dysfunction at listing for LT, not listed for simultaneous kidney transplant, non-Hispanic black (NHB) and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive SLKT than non-Hispanic white (NHW) patients (NHB: multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-4.65; Hispanic: aHR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.14-3.60). For post-SLKT outcomes, compared to NHW patients, NHB patients had a lower mortality risk before 24 months (aHR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.97) but had a higher mortality risk (aHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.59-2.55) afterward; in contrast, Hispanic patients had a lower overall mortality risk than NHW patients (aHR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.51-0.74). CONCLUSIONS In the MELD era, racial/ethnic differences exist in access and survival of SLKT for patients with renal dysfunction at listing for LT. Future studies are warranted to examine whether these differences remain in the post-SLK allocation policy era.
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19
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A Comprehensive Analysis of Liver Transplantation Outcomes Among Ethnic Minorities in the United States. J Clin Gastroenterol 2020; 54:263-270. [PMID: 31169758 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000001236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
GOALS The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive assessment of liver transplant (LT) outcomes among US adults with a specific focus on understanding race/ethnicity-specific disparities. BACKGROUND Despite improvements in the liver allocation and LT-related care, disparities in LT outcomes persist. STUDY Using data from the 2005 to 2016 United Networks for Organ Sharing LT registry, we evaluated waitlist survival, probability of receiving LT, and post-LT survival among US adults stratified by race/ethnicity and liver disease etiology. Kaplan-Meier methods evaluated unadjusted waitlist and post-LT outcomes, and multivariate regression models evaluated adjusted waitlist and post-LT outcomes. RESULTS Among 88,542 listed for LT patients (41.3% hepatitis C virus, 25.3% alcoholic liver disease, 22.3% nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, 11.1% hepatitis C virus/alcoholic liver disease), significant race/ethnicity-specific disparities were observed. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics had a significantly lower risk of waitlist death [hazard ratio (HR)=0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-0.90, P<0.001]. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, significantly lower likelihood of receiving LT was observed in African Americans (HR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.98, P<0.001), Hispanics (HR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.68-0.73, P<0.001) and Asians (HR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.69-0.80, P<0.001). Compared with non-Hispanic whites, African Americans had a significantly higher risk of 5-year post-LT death (HR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.23-1.39, P<0.001). CONCLUSION Among US adults awaiting LT, significant race/ethnicity-specific disparities in LT outcomes were observed. Despite evaluating an era after implementation of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, ethnic minorities continue to demonstrate a lower probability of receiving LT, and significantly higher risk of death post-LT in African Americans.
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20
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Nephew L, Zia Z, Ghabril M, Orman E, Lammert C, Chalasani N. Black Adult Patients With Acute Liver Failure Are Sicker and More Likely to Undergo Liver Transplantation Than White Patients. Liver Transpl 2019; 25:1634-1641. [PMID: 31271697 DOI: 10.1002/lt.25594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Racial and ethnic differences in the presentation and outcomes of patients wait-listed with acute liver failure (ALF) have not been explored. Adult patients with ALF wait-listed for liver transplantation (LT) from 2002 to 2016 were investigated using the United Network for Organ Sharing database. Clinical characteristics and causative etiologies were compared between white, black, Hispanic, and Asian patients with ALF who were wait-listed as status 1. A competing risk analysis was used to explore differences in LT and wait-list removal rates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to explore differences in 1-year posttransplant survival. There were 8208 patients wait-listed with a primary diagnosis of ALF; 4501 were wait-listed as status 1 (55.3% of whites, 64.4% of blacks, 51.6% of Hispanics, 40.7% of Asians; P < 0.001). Black patients had higher bilirubin and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease at wait-listing than other groups. White patients were the most likely to have acetaminophen toxicity as a causative etiology, whereas black patients were the most likely to have autoimmune liver disease. Black patients were significantly more likely to undergo LT than white patients (hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.30). There was no difference in wait-list removal because of death or clinical deterioration among racial/ethnic groups. The 1-year posttransplant survival was lowest in black patients (79.6%) versus white (82.8%), Hispanic (83.9%), and Asian (89.3%) patients (P = 0.02). In conclusion, etiologies of ALF vary by race and ethnicity. Black patients with ALF were more likely to be wait-listed as status 1 and undergo LT than white patients, but they were sicker at presentation. The 1-year posttransplant survival rate was lowest among black patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Nephew
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Zahra Zia
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Marwan Ghabril
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Eric Orman
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Craig Lammert
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Naga Chalasani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
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21
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NASH Leading Cause of Liver Transplant in Women: Updated Analysis of Indications For Liver Transplant and Ethnic and Gender Variances. Am J Gastroenterol 2018; 113:1649-1659. [PMID: 29880964 PMCID: PMC9083888 DOI: 10.1038/s41395-018-0088-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 384] [Impact Index Per Article: 64.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) was previously the leading indication for liver transplant (LT) in the United States. However, since 2014 the use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has decreased the chronic HCV burden, while the prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has risen substantially through the last decade. Both gender and ethnic disparities in indications for LT have been shown in the past but no data on this have been reported since the implementation of DAAs. METHODS We assessed changes in etiologies for LT listing and in gender and ethnic differences in those listed for LT. Adult patients registered for LT in the United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2016 were included. Multinomial logistic regression modeling was used to test for changes in waitlist or liver transplant rates. RESULTS The study included 127,164 adult patients registered for LT. By 2016, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was the leading etiology for waitlisting and LT; NASH was second; hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to chronic HCV and chronic HCV alone were 3rd and 4th. NASH was the leading cause for LT for women and the 2nd leading cause for men (following ALD). NASH increased as the cause in all ethnic subgroups and was the leading cause in 2016 among Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white females. We also found that although the indication for liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to HCV has increased over the years, this indication decreased for the first time between 2015 and 2016 in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS NASH is currently the second leading cause for LT waitlist registration/liver transplantation overall, and in females, the leading cause. Given the rate of increase, NASH will likely rise to become the leading indication for LT in males as well.
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22
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Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Outcomes for Children Waitlisted for Pediatric Liver Transplantation. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2018; 66:436-441. [PMID: 29045352 PMCID: PMC5825240 DOI: 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE African Americans and other minorities are known to face barriers to health care influencing their access to organ transplantation but it is not known whether these barriers exist among pediatric liver transplant waitlist candidates. We sought to determine whether outcomes on the waitlist (ie, mortality, deceased donor liver transplantation [DDLT], and living-donor liver transplantation [LDLT]) varied by race/ethnicity. METHODS National registry data were studied to estimate the race/ethnicity-specific risk of waitlist mortality, DDLT and LDLT in children (<18 years) waitlisted between March 2002 and March 2015. RESULTS There was no evidence of racial/ethnic disparities in waitlist mortality. Compared to Caucasians, LDLT varied by race/ethnicity, with only 6.7% African Americans and 10.3% Hispanic children receiving LDLT compared with 12.4% Caucasian, 13.3% Asian, and 9.4% mix/other children. In an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, African Americans were half as likely as Caucasians to use LDLT (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.410.550.73) but had similar use of DDLT (HR: 0.981.061.16). In a model that considered mortality, DDLT, and LDLT as competing risks, African Americans had significantly reduced incidence of LDLT (subhazard ratio [sHR]: 0.410.560.75) compared to Caucasians, but increased use of DDLT (sHR: 1.061.161.26). CONCLUSIONS Compared to Caucasian children, African-American children are less likely to use LDLT but have higher rates of DDLT and similar survival on the waitlist. Additional research is necessary to understand the clinical and socioeconomic factors contributing to lower utilization of LDLT among African-American children awaiting transplantation.
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23
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Momin BR, Pinheiro PS, Carreira H, Li C, Weir HK. Liver cancer survival in the United States by race and stage (2001-2009): Findings from the CONCORD-2 study. Cancer 2017; 123 Suppl 24:5059-5078. [PMID: 29205306 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worldwide, liver cancer is a leading cause of death for both men and women. The number of Americans who are diagnosed with and die of liver cancer has been rising slowly each year. Using data from the CONCORD-2 study, this study examined population-based survival by state, race, and stage at diagnosis. METHODS Data from 37 statewide registries, which covered 81% of the US population, for patients diagnosed during 2001-2009 were analyzed. Survival up to 5 years was adjusted for background mortality (net survival) with state- and race-specific life tables, and it was age-standardized with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. RESULTS Liver cancer was diagnosed overall more often at the localized stage, with blacks being more often diagnosed at distant and regional stages than whites. 5-year net survival was 12.2% in 2001-2003 and 14.8% in 2004-2009. Whites had higher survival than blacks in both calendar periods (11.7% vs 9.1% and 14.3% vs 11.4%, respectively). During 2004-2009, 5-year survival was 25.7% for localized-stage disease, 9.5% for regional-stage disease, and 3.5% for distant-stage disease. CONCLUSIONS Some progress has occurred in survival for patients with liver cancer, but 5-year survival remains low, even for those diagnosed at the localized stage. Efforts directed at controlling well-established risk factors such as hepatitis B may have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of liver cancer in the United States. Cancer 2017;123:5059-78. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnoosh R Momin
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Paulo S Pinheiro
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
| | - Helena Carreira
- Cancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chunyu Li
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hannah K Weir
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Smith AA, Darden M, Al-Qurayshi Z, Paramesh AS, Killackey M, Kandil E, Parker G, Balart L, Friedlander P, Buell JF. Liver transplantation in New Orleans: parity in a world of disparity? HPB (Oxford) 2017. [PMID: 28647164 DOI: 10.1016/j.hpb.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Racial disparity in access to liver transplantation among African Americans (AA) compared to Caucasians (CA) has been well described. The aim of this investigation was to examine the presentation of AA liver transplant recipients in a socioeconomically challenged region. METHODS 680 adult liver transplant candidates and 233 resultant recipients between 2007 and 2015 were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate factors significant for transplantation. RESULTS Percentages of wait list patients transplanted were similar between CA and AA (34.9% vs. 32.2%, p = 0.5205). AA were younger (50.4 ± 1.8 vs. 56.3 ± 0.7 yrs, p = 0.0003) with higher average MELD scores (22.9 ± 1.6 vs. 19.4 ± 0.7, p = 0.0230). Overall patient mortality was similar (AA 22.7% vs. CA 26.3%, p = 0.5931). A multiple linear regression showed that male gender was strongly associated with transplantation. CONCLUSIONS Equal access to liver transplantation remains challenging for racial minorities. At our institution, AA were accepted and transplanted at an equivalent rate as CA despite a higher AA population, HCV rate and diagnosed HCC. AA were younger and sicker at the time of transplant, but overall had similar outcomes compared to CA. Our study highlights the need for studies to delineate the underpinnings of disparity in transplantation access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison A Smith
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Michael Darden
- Department of Economics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Zaid Al-Qurayshi
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Anil S Paramesh
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mary Killackey
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Emad Kandil
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Geoffrey Parker
- Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth, Hannover, NH, USA
| | - Luis Balart
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Paul Friedlander
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Joseph F Buell
- Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Economics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Ge J, Roberts JP, Lai JC. Race/ethnicity is associated with ABO-nonidentical liver transplantation in the United States. Clin Transplant 2017; 31. [PMID: 28517242 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policies allow for ABO-nonidentical liver transplantation (LT) in candidates with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores greater than 30. Previous studies showed ABO-nonidentical LT resulted in an 18% and 55% net gain in livers for B and AB candidates. These results suggested that the current liver ABO allocation policies may need refinement. There are, however, strong associations between ABO blood groups and race/ethnicity. We hypothesized that race/ethnicity is associated with ABO-nonidentical LT and that this is primarily influenced by recipient ABO status. We examined non-status 1 adult candidates registered between July 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. There were 27 835 candidates (70% non-Hispanic White, 15% Hispanic, 9% Black, 4% Asian, 1% Other/Multiracial). A total of 11 369 underwent deceased donor LT: 93% ABO identical, 6% ABO compatible, and 1% ABO incompatible. Black and Asian race/ethnicity were associated with increased likelihoods of ABO-nonidentical LT. Adjustment for disease etiology, listing MELD, transplant center volume, and UNOS region did not alter this association. Stepwise inclusion of recipient ABO status did eliminate this significant association of race/ethnicity with ABO-nonidentical LT. Blacks and Asians may be advantaged by ABO-nonidentical LT, and we suspect that changes to the existing policies may disproportionately impact these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ge
- Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John P Roberts
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer C Lai
- Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Ahn J, Liu B, Bhuket T, Wong RJ. Race/Ethnicity-Specific Outcomes Among Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Patients Listed for Liver Transplantation. Dig Dis Sci 2017; 62:1051-1057. [PMID: 28168576 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-017-4469-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and need for liver transplantation (LT). It is unclear if HCV-related LT outcomes vary by race/ethnicity. AIMS We aim to evaluate ethnic disparities specifically among patients with chronic HCV in the USA. METHODS Using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing 2003-2013 LT registry, we evaluated race/ethnicity-specific disparities in LT waitlist survival and probability of receiving LT among chronic HCV patients listed for LT. RESULTS Among 43,478 HCV patients listed for LT (70.0% non-Hispanic white, 10.8% black, 16.3% Hispanic, 2.9% Asian), HCV-related LT waitlist registrations increased by 21.5% from 2003 to 2013. During this period, the proportion of HCV patients with HCC increased by 237%, and in 2013, HCV patients with HCC accounted for 33.0% of HCV-related waitlist registrations. When stratified by race/ethnicity, Hispanics with HCV had significantly lower waitlist mortality (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.74-0.94; p < 0.01) compared to non-Hispanic whites, but no significant differences were seen among blacks and Asians. Furthermore, compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics were significantly less likely to receive LT (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.53-0.62; p < 0.001), but no differences were seen among blacks or Asians. CONCLUSION Among patients with chronic HCV in the USA, the MELD score has reduced race/ethnicity-specific disparities in waitlist mortality. However, Hispanic HCV patients had significantly better waitlist survival and lower probability of receiving LT, possibly reflecting slower disease progression compared to non-Hispanic whites with chronic HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ahn
- Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benny Liu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Highland Hospital - Highland Care Pavilion 5th Floor, Endoscopy Unit, 1411 East 31st Street, Oakland, CA, 94602, USA
| | - Taft Bhuket
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Highland Hospital - Highland Care Pavilion 5th Floor, Endoscopy Unit, 1411 East 31st Street, Oakland, CA, 94602, USA
| | - Robert J Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital, Highland Hospital - Highland Care Pavilion 5th Floor, Endoscopy Unit, 1411 East 31st Street, Oakland, CA, 94602, USA.
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Zhang Y. The Impact of the Share 35 Policy on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Liver Transplantation for Patients with End Stage Liver Disease in the United States: An Analysis from UNOS Database. Int J Equity Health 2017; 16:55. [PMID: 28340592 PMCID: PMC5366147 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-017-0552-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Share 35 policy was instituted in June 2013 by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in order to reduce death on liver transplant waiting list. The effect of this policy on racial and ethnic disparities in access to liver transplantation has not been examined. METHODS A total of 14,585 adult patients registered for liver transplantation between 2012 and 2015 were identified from UNOS database. Logistic and proportional hazards models were used to model the effects of race and ethnicity on access to liver transplantation. Stratification on pre- and post-Share 35 periods was performed to compare the first 18 months of Share 35 policy to an equivalent time period before. RESULTS Comparison of the pre- and post-Share 35 periods showed significantly decreased time on waiting list and increased numbers of minorities having access to liver transplantation. Hispanic recipients still experienced significantly longer waiting time (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.88) before they received liver transplantation after Share 35 policy took effect. CONCLUSION The Share 35 policy did not lead to improved access to liver transplantation among minorities but eliminated the previously observed racial and ethnic disparities in transplant rates as well as shortened the waiting time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yefei Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Pressler Street, RAS-E803f, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Race/Ethnicity-specific Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stage at Diagnosis and its Impact on Receipt of Curative Therapies. J Clin Gastroenterol 2016; 50:423-30. [PMID: 26583267 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000000448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
GOALS To evaluate race/ethnicity-specific disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stage at diagnosis and how this impacts receiving curative therapies. BACKGROUND HCC is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The highest incidence of HCC is seen among ethnic minorities in the United States. STUDY Using the 2003-2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and United Network of Organ Sharing, population-based registries for cancer and liver transplantation (LT) in the United States, race/ethnicity-specific cancer stage at diagnosis and treatment received among adults with HCC were evaluated. RESULTS Compared with non-Hispanic whites, blacks had significantly more advanced HCC at diagnosis [odds ratio (OR), 1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-1.30; P<0.001], whereas Asians were less likely to have advanced disease (OR, 0.87; CI, 0.80-0.94; P<0.001). Among patients with HCC meeting Milan criteria, Hispanics (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.57-0.71; P<0.001) and blacks (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59-0.76; P<0.001) were significantly less likely to receive curative therapy (resection or LT), whereas Asians were more likely to receive curative therapy (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10-1.35; P<0.001) compared with non-Hispanic whites. However, Asians (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.42-0.58; P<0.001) and Hispanics (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.44-0.60; P<0.001) were less likely to receive LT. CONCLUSIONS Among US adults with HCC, blacks consistently had more advanced stage at diagnosis and lower rates of receiving treatment. After correcting for cancer stage and evaluating the subset of patients eligible for curative therapies, blacks and Hispanics had significantly lower rates of curative HCC treatment.
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Hisam B, Zogg CK, Chaudhary MA, Ahmed A, Khan H, Selvarajah S, Torain MJ, Changoor NR, Haider AH. From understanding to action: interventions for surgical disparities. J Surg Res 2016; 200:560-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2015.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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30
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Lam P, Obirieze A, Ortega G, Nwokeabia I, Onyewu S, Purnell S, Samimi M, Weeks C, Lee E, Shokrani B, Frederick W, Callender C, Wilson L. Characterization of Hepatitis B and C Among Liver Transplant Recipients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database. Transplant Proc 2016; 48:123-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Huda A, Newcomer R, Harrington C, Keeffe EB, Esquivel CO. Employment after liver transplantation: a review. Transplant Proc 2015; 47:233-9. [PMID: 25769555 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2014.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Return to productive employment is often an important milestone in the recovery and rehabilitation process after liver transplantation (OLT). This literature review identifies factors associated with employment in patients who underwent OLT. METHODS We searched PubMed for articles that addressed the various factors affecting employment after OLT. RESULTS The studies demonstrated improvement in the quality of life and examined factors that predicted whether patients would return to work after OLT. Demographic variable associated with posttransplant employment included young age, male sex, college degree, Caucasian race, and pretransplant employment. Patients with alcohol-related liver disease had a significantly lower rate of employment than did those with other etiologies of liver disease. Recipients who were employed after transplantation had a significantly better posttransplant functional status than did those who were not employed. CONCLUSION Economic pressures are increasing the expectation that patients who undergo successful OLT will return to work. Thus, transplant teams need to have a better understanding of posttransplant work outcomes for this vulnerable population, and greater attention must be paid to the full social rehabilitation of transplant recipients. Specific interventions for OLT recipients should be designed to evaluate and change their health perceptions and encourage their return to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Huda
- Division of Abdominal Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California.
| | - R Newcomer
- Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - C Harrington
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - E B Keeffe
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California
| | - C O Esquivel
- Division of Abdominal Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California
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32
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Stine JG, Shah NL, Argo CK, Pelletier SJ, Caldwell SH, Northup PG. Increased risk of portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Liver Transpl 2015; 21:1016-21. [PMID: 25845711 PMCID: PMC6615024 DOI: 10.1002/lt.24134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication of cirrhosis sometimes implicated in hepatic decompensation. There are no consistent epidemiologic data to suggest an increased risk of thrombotic complications in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, research suggests an increased risk of thrombosis. Our aim was to examine the independent association between NASH cirrhosis and PVT in patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) in a cross-sectional study. Data on all LTs occurring in the United States between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2012 were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Multivariable models were constructed to assess the statistical associations and risk factors for the development of PVT. A total of 33,368 patients underwent transplantation. Of these, 2096 (6.3%) had PVT. Of the patients with PVT, 12.0% had NASH. When we compared these patients to a composite of all other causes of cirrhosis, an increased prevalence of PVT was again found, with 10.1% having PVT at the time of transplantation versus 6.0% without NASH (P < 0.001). The strongest risk factor independently associated with a diagnosis of PVT in a multivariable analysis was NASH cirrhosis (odds ratio, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.33-1.81; P < 0.001). NASH cirrhosis appears to predispose a patient to PVT independently of other risk factors. These epidemiological findings provide support for the idea that NASH is a prothrombotic state, and they should lead to more research in treatment and prevention in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G. Stine
- Division of Gastroenteroiogy and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Neeral L. Shah
- Division of Gastroenteroiogy and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Curtis K. Argo
- Division of Gastroenteroiogy and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Shawn J. Pelletier
- Division of Transpiant Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Stephen H. Caldwell
- Division of Gastroenteroiogy and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Patrick G. Northup
- Division of Gastroenteroiogy and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
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Independent effect of black recipient race on short-term outcomes after liver transplantation. Surgery 2015; 157:774-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2014.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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34
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Parsikia A, Ortiz J. Disparities in the reporting of distribution of health care. Liver Transpl 2014; 20:1149. [PMID: 24839271 DOI: 10.1002/lt.23913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Afshin Parsikia
- Department of Transplant Surgery, Einstein Healthcare Network, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
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35
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Wong RJ, Ahmed A. Combination of racial/ethnic and etiology/disease-specific factors is associated with lower survival following liver transplantation in African Americans: an analysis from UNOS/OPTN database. Clin Transplant 2014; 28:755-61. [DOI: 10.1111/ctr.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford CA USA
| | - Aijaz Ahmed
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford CA USA
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36
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Wong RJ, Devaki P, Nguyen L, Cheung R, Nguyen MH. Ethnic disparities and liver transplantation rates in hepatocellular carcinoma patients in the recent era: results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Liver Transpl 2014; 20:528-35. [PMID: 24415542 DOI: 10.1002/lt.23820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. After the implementation of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease system, rates of liver transplantation (LT) for HCC patients increased. However, it is not clear whether this trend has continued into recent times. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (1998-2010), we retrospectively analyzed trends for LT among HCC patients in 3 time periods: 1998-2003, 2004-2008, and 2009-2010. A total of 60,772 HCC patients were identified. In the more recent time periods, the proportion of localized-stage HCC increased (45.0% in 1998-2003, 50.4% in 2004-2008, and 51.7% in 2009-2010; P < 0.001). Although the proportion of HCC patients within the Milan criteria also increased with time (22.8% in 1998-2003, 31.8% in 2004-2008, and 37.1% in 2009-2010; P < 0.001), the proportion of those patients undergoing LT increased from 1998-2003 to 2004-2008 but decreased from 2004-2008 to 2009-2010. However, the actual frequencies of LT were similar in 2004-2008 (208.2 per year) and 2009-2010 (201.5 per year). A multivariate logistic regression, including sex, age, ethnicity, Milan criteria, tumor stage, tumor size and number, and time periods, demonstrated a lower likelihood of LT in 2009-2010 versus 1998-2003 [odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57-0.71]. Blacks (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.41-0.56), Asians (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.57-0.73), and Hispanics (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.68-0.85) were all less likely to undergo LT in comparison with non-Hispanic whites. Despite the increasing proportion of patients with HCC diagnosed at an earlier stage, LT rates declined in the most recent era. In addition, ethnic minorities were significantly less likely to undergo LT. The growing imbalance between the number of transplant-eligible HCC patients and the shortage of donor livers emphasizes the need to improve donor availability and curative alternatives to LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Wong
- Liver Transplant Program, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA
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Forde KA, Tanapanpanit O, Reddy KR. Hepatitis B and C in African Americans: current status and continued challenges. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2014; 12:738-48. [PMID: 23811241 PMCID: PMC3947744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Viral hepatitis remains a public health concern in the United States, resulting in excess morbidity and mortality for the individual and representing a burden to societies as evidenced by billions of dollars in health care expenditures. As with many chronic diseases, race and ethnicity influence various aspects of disease pathogenesis, including mechanisms of persistence, disease progression, disease sequelae, and response to therapy. For hepatitis B and C infections, African Americans disproportionately bear a large burden of disease in the United States. The role and importance of African American race, however, have been less well-characterized in the literature among the population of viral hepatitis-infected individuals. The differences in epidemiology, manifestations of liver disease, response to therapy, and differential trends in liver transplantation in African Americans compared with other racial and ethnic groups deserve special attention. This review will address the current status of hepatitis B and C infection in African Americans in the United States and identify some of the remaining challenges in diagnosis, characterization of natural history, and treatment. For the purposes of this review, the terms African American and black will be used interchangeably throughout the text.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Forde
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Orapin Tanapanpanit
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - K. Rajender Reddy
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Sharma P, Schaubel DE, Messersmith EE, Guidinger MK, Merion RM. Factors that affect deceased donor liver transplantation rates in the United States in addition to the Model for End-stage Liver Disease score. Liver Transpl 2012; 18:1456-63. [PMID: 22965903 PMCID: PMC3518743 DOI: 10.1002/lt.23548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 08/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Under an ideal implementation of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)-based liver allocation, the only factors that would predict deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) rates would be the MELD score, blood type, and donation service area (DSA). We aimed to determine whether additional factors are associated with DDLT rates in actual practice. Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for all adult candidates wait-listed between March 1, 2002 and December 31, 2008 (n = 57,503) were analyzed. Status 1 candidates were excluded. Cox regression was used to model covariate-adjusted DDLT rates, which were stratified by the DSA, blood type, liver-intestine policy, and allocation MELD score. Inactive time on the wait list was not modeled, so the computed DDLT hazard ratios (HRs) were interpreted as active wait-list candidates. Many factors, including the candidate's age, sex, diagnosis, hospitalization status, and height, prior DDLT, and combined listing for liver-kidney or liver-intestine transplantation, were significantly associated with DDLT rates. Factors associated with significantly lower covariate-adjusted DDLT rates were a higher serum creatinine level (HR = 0.92, P < 0.001), a higher bilirubin level (HR = 0.99, P = 0.001), and the receipt of dialysis (HR = 0.83, P < 0.001). Mild ascites (HR = 1.15, P < 0.001) and hepatic encephalopathy (grade 1 or 2, HR = 1.05, P = 0.02; grade 3 or 4, HR = 1.10, P = 0.01) were associated with significantly higher adjusted DDLT rates. In conclusion, adjusted DDLT rates for actively listed candidates are affected by many factors aside from those integral to the allocation system; these factors include the components of the MELD score itself as well as candidate factors that were considered but were deliberately omitted from the MELD score in order to keep it objective. These results raise the question whether additional candidate characteristics should be explicitly incorporated into the prioritization of wait-list candidates because such factors are already systematically affecting DDLT rates under the current allocation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratima Sharma
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | | | | | | | - Robert M Merion
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI
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Lankarani KB, Mahmoodi M, Gholami S, Mehravar S, Malekhosseini SA, Heydari ST, Zarei E, Salahi H, Nikeghbalian S, Taghavi SA, Janghorban P, Ghaffarpasand F. Reducing Social Disparity in Liver Transplantation Utilization through Governmental Financial Support. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2012; 12:e6463. [PMID: 23300495 PMCID: PMC3539062 DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.6463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Revised: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A high proportion of patients suffering from end stage liver disease are from low socioeconomic classes , which limits their access to liver transplantation as the most effctive treatment of this condition because of cost barrier. OBJECTIVES one of the most challenging aspects of liver transplantation is its affordability and utilization by those who need it the most. PATIENTS AND METHODS Since November 2005, Iran Ministry of Health had covered 100% of the costs of in-patient liver transplantation care. To determine the effects of this policy, patterns of utilization of liver transplantation were compared before and after implementation of the policy. Group one included 112 and group two included 120 individuals who received transplantation before (from early January 2003 to November 2005) and after (from November 2005 to the end of December 2007) the legislation entered into the effect, respectively. Socioeconomic characteristics of these patients were evaluated by data collected about house and car ownership, education level, employment status, and place of residence. RESULTS Coverage of the costs allowed more illiterate and semiliterate people (P = 0.032) as well as more unemployed or unskilled workers to receive transplantation (P = 0.021). The number of transplantations also increased in children and geriatric age group. This legislation also led to greater countrywide regional coverage of indigent patients. CONCLUSIONS This survey provides evidence that coverage of the costs by Ministry of Health was effective in reducing social discrimination in utilization of liver transplantation, and narrowed the gap between low and high socioeconomic classes in Iranian society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran B. Lankarani
- Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
- Corresponding author: Kamran B. Lankarani, Health Policy Research Center, Building No 2, Eighth Floor, School of Medicine, Zand Blvd., Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran. Tel.: +98-7112309615, Fax: +98-7112309615, E-mail:
| | - Mojtaba Mahmoodi
- Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Siavash Gholami
- Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Soheila Mehravar
- Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | | | - Sayed Taghi Heydari
- Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Elham Zarei
- Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Heshmatollah Salahi
- Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Saman Nikeghbalian
- Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | | | - Parisa Janghorban
- Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran
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Abstract
There is a paucity of information on the utilization patterns of liver transplantation (LT) for HIV-positive individuals. The aim of this study is to examine the trends in LT of HIV patients in the US. This study was a retrospective analysis using the UNOS database (1999-2008). There were 135 HIV-positive patients. There was a steady increase in the number of LT recipients over time as well as regional variation. Ethnic minorities accounted for 33.3% and there was no ethnic difference in survival. Though LT for HIV-positive patients is on the rise, significant variations exist in patient demographics, geographic location, and insurance payer.
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Flattau A, Olaywi M, Gaglio PJ, Marcus P, Meissner P, L Dorfman EB, Reinus JF. Social barriers to listing for adult liver transplantation: their prevalence and association with program characteristics. Liver Transpl 2011; 17:1167-75. [PMID: 21656658 DOI: 10.1002/lt.22357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social barriers to effective medical care are mandated to be routinely assessed as part of an evaluation for liver transplantation. This study explores how frequently liver transplant programs encounter these barriers in patients undergoing an evaluation and whether programs with higher proportions of Medicaid patients, historically disadvantaged minority patients, and rural patients encounter social barriers more frequently. A survey for assessing patient demographics and social barriers was electronically completed by representatives of 61 of 104 eligible US adult liver transplant programs (59%). Fifty-eight of the 61 programs identified themselves, and their characteristics were similar to those of all 104 US programs according to publicly available data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Social barriers were reported to be encountered sometimes (10%-30%) or frequently (>30%) by the 61 programs as follows: inadequate or unstable health insurance (68.9% of the programs), a chaotic social environment (63.9%), a lack of a care partner (60.7%), an inability to obtain transportation (49.2%), a low educational level (36.1%), inadequate housing (23.0%), a language barrier (19.7%), no reliable way of contacting the patient (16.4%), difficulty in obtaining child care (11.5%), and food insecurity (8.2%). The frequencies of perceived social barriers did not differ significantly between programs reporting higher or lower proportions of Medicaid, minority, or rural patients. Our analysis suggests that program-level operational planning for addressing social barriers to transplant listing should be considered regardless of the proportions of Medicaid-insured, racial or ethnic minority, and rural patients in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Flattau
- Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
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Vanatta JM, Modanlou KA, Dean AG, Nezakatgoo N, Campos L, Nair S, Eason JD. Outcomes of orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatic sarcoidosis: an analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data files for a comparative study with cholestatic liver diseases. Liver Transpl 2011; 17:1027-34. [PMID: 21594966 DOI: 10.1002/lt.22339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic sarcoidosis is a rare indication for liver transplantation. Using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database, we evaluated patient and graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation for sarcoidosis between October 1987 and December 2007. We assessed the potential prognostic value of multiple demographic and clinical variables, and we also compared these patients to a case-matched group of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) or primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The 1- and 5-year survival rates for the sarcoidosis group were 78% and 61%, respectively, and these rates were significantly worse than the rates for the PSC/PBC group (P = 0.001). Disease recurrence in the liver is a rare cause of graft loss or patient death. Three deaths occurred in the sarcoidosis group because of recurrent hepatic sarcoidosis, and 1 death was a result of cardiac sarcoidosis. A univariate analysis identified an increasing donor risk index as a significant negative factor for outcomes for the sarcoidosis group [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.06, confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-4.06, P = 0.037], but this finding was not found in a multivariate analysis, in which no independent predictors were found to have a significant impact. A case-matched univariate analysis demonstrated that sarcoidosis and morbid obesity were significant negative factors for outcomes, and in a multivariate analysis, sarcoidosis continued to predict worse outcomes (HR = 2.39, CI = 1.21-4.73, P = 0.012). In conclusion, an analysis of the UNOS/OPTN database indicates that the patient and allograft survival rates for hepatic sarcoidosis are satisfactory, but they are worse in comparison with the rates for other cholestatic liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Vanatta
- Division of Transplantation, University of Tennessee, Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, Memphis, TN 38104, USA.
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Myers RP, Shaheen AAM, Aspinall AI, Quinn RR, Burak KW. Gender, renal function, and outcomes on the liver transplant waiting list: assessment of revised MELD including estimated glomerular filtration rate. J Hepatol 2011; 54:462-70. [PMID: 21109324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2010] [Revised: 07/02/2010] [Accepted: 07/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) allocation system for liver transplantation (LT) may present a disadvantage for women by including serum creatinine, which is typically lower in females. Our objectives were to investigate gender disparities in outcomes among LT candidates and to assess a revised MELD, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), for predicting waiting list mortality. METHODS Adults registered for LT between 2002 and 2007 were identified using the UNOS database. We compared components of MELD, MDRD-derived eGFR, and the 3-month probability of LT and death between genders. Discrimination of MELD, MELDNa, and revised models including eGFR for mortality were compared using c-statistics. RESULTS A total of 40,393 patients (36% female) met the inclusion criteria; 9% died and 24% underwent LT within 3 months of listing. Compared with men, women had lower median serum creatinine (0.9 vs. 1.0 mg/dl), eGFR (72 vs. 83 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), and mean MELD (16.5 vs. 17.2; all p <0.0005), but within most MELD strata, had higher bilirubin and INR. After adjusting for relevant covariates including creatinine and body weight, women were less likely than men to receive a LT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.85; 95% CI 0.79-0.87) and had greater 3-month mortality (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.05-1.21). Revision of MELD and MELDNa to include eGFR did not improve discrimination for 3-month mortality (c-statistics: MELD 0.896, MELD-eGFR 0.894, MELDNa 0.911, MELDNa-eGFR 0.905). CONCLUSIONS Women are disadvantaged under MELD potentially due to its inclusion of creatinine. However, since including eGFR in MELD does not improve mortality prediction, alternative refinements are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Myers
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver transplantation offers life-saving therapy for patients with decompensated liver disease or T2 hepatocellular carcinomas. In the United States, deceased donor livers are primarily allocated by Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score within each of the country's more than 50 donation service areas (DSAs). Variation in DSA size, population, and organ availability have engendered concern that unequal access to deceased donor livers across DSAs contributes to geographic variability in outcome. METHODS To determine the extent to which DSA variability in organ availability correlated with combined waitlist and posttransplant mortality, we analyzed retrospectively national waitlist and posttransplant data for a 7-year period after implementation of the current MELD-based allocation system. RESULTS Marked variation among DSAs was evident in death rate (3.3-fold), transplant rate (20-fold), and mean transplant MELD (>10 points). Death rate correlated with organ availability was assessed by transplant rate and transplant MELD. DSAs with low organ availability included the country's largest cities, had more new listings per capita, larger waitlists, more transplant centers per DSA, and a higher proportion of black and Asian patients. DSAs of organ shortage were also characterized by more frequent dual listing at another transplant center, more living donor liver transplants, and increased average length of the transplant admission. CONCLUSIONS Geographic differences in deceased donor organ availability contribute to variation in overall death rate of liver transplant patients, shape the clinical practice of transplant, and influence the resources consumed per transplant. Geographic variation in organ access results primarily from rates of listing rather than donation. Our findings highlight the need to restructure organ distribution areas to achieve equal access to deceased donor livers for transplantation in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Yeh
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Elizabeth Smoot
- Department of Biostatistics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - James F. Markmann
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
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Lai JC, Terrault NA, Vittinghoff E, Biggins SW. Height contributes to the gender difference in wait-list mortality under the MELD-based liver allocation system. Am J Transplant 2010; 10:2658-64. [PMID: 21087414 PMCID: PMC3059496 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2010.03326.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
This study examined factors associated with the gender disparity in wait-list mortality in the MELD era. Adult patients listed for liver transplantation from 2002 to 2008 were included. Females [12 585(36%)] and males [22 126(64%)] differed clinically by age (54 vs. 52 years), height (1.6 vs. 1.8 m), listing estimated glomerular filtration rate [(eGFR); 70 vs. 83 mL/min] and cirrhosis etiology. Holding MELD constant, females were at 19% (95% CI, 1.13-1.25, p < 0.001) higher risk of wait-list mortality than males under the current allocation system. The relative hazard increased with worsening renal function, whether measured by serum creatinine or eGFR. Adjustment for MELD, age, African-American race, cirrhosis etiology, region and ABO group attenuated this relative hazard (HR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.22; p < 0.001) but additional adjustment for height completely explained this gender disparity in wait-list mortality (HR 1.05; 95% CI, 0.98-1.12; p = 0.2). Transplantation rates, however, remained lower among females, even after adjustment for height (HR 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82-0.92; p < 0.001). In conclusion, under the current liver allocation system, women have a 19% increased risk of wait-list mortality compared to men with the same MELD scores. Height contributes to this gender disparity, possibly reflecting differences in transplantation rates for shorter individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C. Lai
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Norah A. Terrault
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Eric Vittinghoff
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Scott W. Biggins
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado
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46
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Bowlus CL, Li CS, Karlsen TH, Lie BA, Selmi C. Primary sclerosing cholangitis in genetically diverse populations listed for liver transplantation: unique clinical and human leukocyte antigen associations. Liver Transpl 2010; 16:1324-30. [PMID: 21031548 PMCID: PMC2967453 DOI: 10.1002/lt.22161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is well characterized in European populations. We aimed to characterize clinical characteristics and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations in a population of European American, Hispanic, and African American PSC patients listed for liver transplantation (LT). Population-stratified demographic, clinical, and HLA data from 6767 LT registrants of the United Network for Organ Sharing who had a diagnosis of PSC (4.7% of the registrants) were compared to data from registrants with other diagnoses. Compared to European Americans and Hispanics, African Americans were significantly younger (46.6 ± 13.7, 42.3 ± 15.9, and 39.7 ± 13.1 years, respectively; P = 0.002) and were listed with a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (15.2 ± 7.5, 14.9 ± 7.6, and 18.1 ± 9.3, respectively; P = 0.001); they were also less frequently noted to have inflammatory bowel disease in comparison with European Americans (71.4% versus 60.5%, P < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, African origin was a significant factor associated with listing for LT with PSC (odds ratio with respect to European Americans = 1.325, 95% confidence interval = 1.221-1.438). HLA associations in European Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans with PSC versus alcoholic liver disease were detected for HLA-B8, HLA-DR13, and protective HLA-DR4. However, HLA-DR3, which is in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-B8, showed associations only in European Americans and Hispanics. In conclusion, African Americans with PSC who are listed for LT differ clinically from European Americans and Hispanics. The association with HLA-B8 but not HLA-DR3 in African Americans should make possible the refinement of the HLA associations in PSC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chin-Shang Li
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics, University of California Davis
| | - Tom H. Karlsen
- Norwegian PSC research center, Clinic for Specialized Medicine and Surgery, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Benedicte A. Lie
- Institute of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Carlo Selmi
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, University of Milan, Italy
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Mathur AK, Schaubel DE, Gong Q, Guidinger MK, Merion RM. Racial and ethnic disparities in access to liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2010; 16:1033-40. [PMID: 20818740 PMCID: PMC2936696 DOI: 10.1002/lt.22108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Access to liver transplantation is reportedly inequitable for racial/ethnic minorities, but inadequate adjustments for geography and disease progression preclude any meaningful conclusions. We aimed to evaluate the association between candidate race/ethnicity and liver transplant rates after thorough adjustments for these factors and to determine how uniform racial/ethnic disparities were across Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. Chronic end-stage liver disease candidates initially wait-listed between February 28, 2002 and February 27, 2007 were identified from Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients data. The primary outcome was deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT); the primary exposure covariate was race/ethnicity (white, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and other). Cox regression was used to estimate the covariate-adjusted DDLT rates by race/ethnicity, which were stratified by the donation service area and MELD score. With averaging across all MELD scores, African Americans, Asians, and others had similar adjusted DDLT rates in comparison with whites. However, Hispanics had an 8% lower DDLT rate versus whites [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.92, P = 0.011]. The disparity among Hispanics was concentrated among patients with MELD scores < 20, with HR = 0.84 (P = 0.021) for MELD scores of 6 to 14 and HR = 0.85 (P = 0.009) for MELD scores of 15 to 19. Asians with MELD scores < 15 had a 24% higher DDLT rate with respect to whites (HR = 1.24, P = 0.024). However, Asians with MELD scores of 30 to 40 had a 46% lower DDLT rate (HR = 0.54, P = 0.004). In conclusion, although African Americans did not have significantly different DDLT rates in comparison with similar white candidates, race/ethnicity-based disparities were prominent among subgroups of Hispanic and Asian candidates. By precluding the survival benefit of liver transplantation, this inequity may lead to excess mortality for minority candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit K Mathur
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5342, USA.
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48
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Maybury RS, Bolorunduro OB, Villegas C, Haut ER, Stevens K, Cornwell EE, Efron DT, Haider AH. Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles further worsen race- and insurance-based disparities in trauma outcomes: the case for inner-city pedestrian injury prevention programs. Surgery 2010; 148:202-8. [PMID: 20633726 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2010.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/13/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pedestrian trauma is the most lethal blunt trauma mechanism, and the rate of mortality in African Americans and Hispanics is twice that compared with whites. Whether insurance status and differential survival contribute to this disparity is unknown. METHODS This study is a review of vehicle-struck pedestrians in the National Trauma Data Bank, v7.0. Patients <16 years and > or =65 years, as well as patients with Injury Severity Score (ISS) <9, were excluded. Patients were categorized as white, African American, or Hispanic, and as privately insured, government insured, or uninsured. With white and privately insured patients as reference, logistic regression was used to evaluate mortality by race and insurance status after adjusting for patient and injury characteristics. RESULTS In all, 26,404 patients met inclusion criteria. On logistic regression, African Americans had 22% greater odds of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.41) and Hispanics had 33% greater odds of mortality (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.14-1.54) compared with whites. Uninsured patients had 77% greater odds of mortality (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.52-2.06) compared with privately insured patients. CONCLUSION African American and Hispanic race, as well as uninsured status, increase the risk of mortality after pedestrian crashes. Given the greater incidence of pedestrian crashes in minorities, this compounded burden of injury mandates pedestrian trauma prevention efforts in inner cities to decrease health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubie Sue Maybury
- Department of Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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49
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Socioeconomic Disparities in Infant Mortality After Nonaccidental Trauma: A Multicenter Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 69:20-5. [DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e3181bbd7c3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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50
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El-Serag H, Lok ASF, Thomas DL. The dawn of a new era: transforming our domestic response to hepatitis B & C. Gastroenterology 2010; 138:1225-30, 1230.e1-3. [PMID: 20176024 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2010.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hashem El-Serag
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Section, Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Division, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77584, USA.
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