Association of U.S. Dialysis facility neighborhood characteristics with facility-level kidney transplantation

Neighborhood Segregation and Access to Live Donor Kidney Transplantation

Importance

Identifying the mechanisms of structural racism, such as racial and ethnic segregation, is a crucial first step in addressing the persistent disparities in access to live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT).

Objective

To assess whether segregation at the candidate's residential neighborhood and transplant center neighborhood is associated with access to LDKT.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this cohort study spanning January 1995 to December 2021, participants included non-Hispanic Black or White adult candidates for first-time LDKT reported in the US national transplant registry. The median (IQR) follow-up time for each participant was 1.9 (0.6-3.0) years.

Main Outcome and Measures

Segregation, measured using the Theil H method to calculate segregation tertiles in zip code tabulation areas based on the American Community Survey 5-year estimates, reflects the heterogeneity in neighborhood racial and ethnic composition. To quantify the likelihood of LDKT by neighborhood segregation, cause-specific hazard models were adjusted for individual-level and neighborhood-level factors and included an interaction between segregation tertiles and race.

Results

Among 162 587 candidates for kidney transplant, the mean (SD) age was 51.6 (13.2) years, 65 141 (40.1%) were female, 80 023 (49.2%) were Black, and 82 564 (50.8%) were White. Among Black candidates, living in a high-segregation neighborhood was associated with 10% (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.90 [95% CI, 0.84-0.97]) lower access to LDKT relative to residence in low-segregation neighborhoods; no such association was observed among White candidates (P for interaction = .01). Both Black candidates (AHR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.89-1.00]) and White candidates (AHR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97]) listed at transplant centers in high-segregation neighborhoods had lower access to LDKT relative to their counterparts listed at centers in low-segregation neighborhoods (P for interaction = .64). Within high-segregation transplant center neighborhoods, candidates listed at predominantly minority neighborhoods had 17% lower access to LDKT relative to candidates listed at predominantly White neighborhoods (AHR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.92]). Black candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers in predominantly minority neighborhoods had significantly lower likelihood of LDKT relative to White candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers located in predominantly White neighborhoods (65% and 64%, respectively).

Conclusions

Segregated residential and transplant center neighborhoods likely serve as a mechanism of structural racism, contributing to persistent racial disparities in access to LDKT. To promote equitable access, studies should assess targeted interventions (eg, community outreach clinics) to improve support for potential candidates and donors and ultimately mitigate the effects of segregation.

The Association of Dialysis Facility Payer Mix With Access to Kidney Transplantation

Importance

Insurance coverage for patients with end-stage kidney disease has shifted toward more commercially insured patients at dialysis facilities. The associations among insurance status, facility-level payer mix, and access to kidney transplantation are unclear.

Objective

To determine the association of dialysis facility commercial payer mix and 1-year incidence of wait-listing for kidney transplantation, and to delineate the association of commercial insurance at the patient vs facility level.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective population-based cohort study used data from the United States Renal Data System from 2013 to 2018. Participants included patients aged 18 to 75 years initiating chronic dialysis between 2013 and 2017, excluding patients with a prior kidney transplant or with major contraindications to kidney transplant. Data were analyzed from August 2021 and May 2023.

Exposure

Dialysis facility commercial payer mix, calculated as the proportion of patients with commercial insurance per facility.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was patients added to a waiting list for kidney transplant within 1 year of dialysis initiation. Multivariable Cox regression, censoring for death, was used to adjust for patient-level (demographic, socioeconomic, and medical) and facility-level factors.

Results

A total of 233 003 patients (97 617 [41.9%] female patients; mean [SD] age, 58.0 [12.1] years) across 6565 facilities met inclusion criteria. Participants included 70 062 Black patients (30.1%), 42 820 Hispanic patients (18.4%), 105 368 White patients (45.2%), and 14 753 patients (6.3%) who identified as another race or ethnicity (eg, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial). Of 6565 dialysis facilities, the mean (SD) commercial payer mix was 21.2% (15.6 percentage points). Patient-level commercial insurance was associated with increased incidence of wait-listing (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.86; 95% CI, 1.80-1.93; P < .001). At the facility-level and before covariate adjustment, higher commercial payer mix was associated with increased wait-listing (fourth vs first payer mix quartile [Q]: HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.67-1.91; P < .001). However, after covariate-adjustment, including adjusting for patient-level insurance status, commercial payer mix was not significantly associated with outcome (Q4 vs Q1: aHR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.95-1.09; P = .60).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this national cohort study of patients newly initiated on chronic dialysis, although patient-level commercial insurance was associated with higher access to the kidney transplant waiting lists, there was no independent association of facility-level commercial payer mix with patients being added to waiting lists for transplant. As the landscape of insurance coverage for dialysis evolves, the potential downstream impact on access to kidney transplant should be monitored.

Social determinants of health data in solid organ transplantation: National data sources and future directions

Health equity research in transplantation has largely relied on national data sources, yet the availability of social determinants of health (SDOH) data varies widely among these sources. We sought to characterize the extent to which national data sources contain SDOH data applicable to end-stage organ disease (ESOD) and transplant patients. We reviewed 10 active national data sources based in the United States. For each data source, we examined patient inclusion criteria and explored strengths and limitations regarding SDOH data, using the National Institutes of Health PhenX toolkit of SDOH as a data collection instrument. Of the 28 SDOH variables reviewed, eight-core demographic variables were included in ≥80% of the data sources, and seven variables that described elements of social status ranged between 30 and 60% inclusion. Variables regarding identity, healthcare access, and social need were poorly represented (≤20%) across the data sources, and five of these variables were included in none of the data sources. The results of our review highlight the need for improved SDOH data collection systems in ESOD and transplant patients via: enhanced inter-registry collaboration, incorporation of standardized SDOH variables into existing data sources, and transplant center and consortium-based investigation and innovation.

Treatment Patterns and Characteristics of Dialysis Facilities Randomly Assigned to the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model

IMPORTANCE

In 2021, Medicare launched the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) model, which randomly assigned approximately 30% of dialysis facilities to new financial incentives to increase use of transplantation and home dialysis; these financial bonuses and penalties are calculated by comparing living-donor transplantation, transplant wait-listing, and home dialysis use in ETC-assigned facilities vs benchmarks from non-ETC-assigned (ie, control) facilities. Because model participation is randomly assigned, evaluators may attribute any downstream differences in outcomes to facility performance rather than any imbalance in baseline characteristics.

OBJECTIVE

To identify preintervention imbalances in dialysis facility characteristics that should be recognized in any ETC model evaluations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study compared ETC-assigned and control dialysis facility characteristics in the United States from 2017 to 2018. A total of 6062 facilities were included. Data were analyzed from February 2021 to May 2022.

EXPOSURES

Assignment to the ETC model.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Dialysis facilities' preintervention transplantations and home dialysis use, facility characteristics (notably, profit and chain status), patient demographic characteristics, and community socioeconomic characteristics.

RESULTS

Among 316 927 patients, with 6 178 855 attributed patient-months, the mean (SD) age in January 2017 was 59 (11) years, and 132 462 (42%) were female. Patients in ETC-assigned facilities had 9% (0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.2] percentage points) lower prevalence of living donor transplantation, 12% (3.2 [95% CI, 3.0-3.3] percentage points) lower prevalence of transplantation wait-listing, and 4% (0.4 [95% CI, 0.3-0.4] percentage points) lower prevalence of peritoneal dialysis use compared with control facilities. ETC-assigned facilities were 14% (5.1 [95% CI, 0.9-9.4] percentage points) more likely than control facilities to be owned by the second largest dialysis organization. Relative to control facilities, ETC-assigned facilities also treated 34% (6.6 [95% CI, 6.5-6.7] percentage point) fewer patients with Hispanic ethnicity and were located in communities with median household incomes that were 4% ($2500; 95% CI, $500-$4500) lower on average.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, dialysis facilities in ETC-assigned regions had lower preintervention prevalence of transplantation wait-listing, living donor transplantation, and peritoneal dialysis use, relative to control facilities. ETC-assigned and control facilities also differed with respect to other facility, patient, and community characteristics. Evaluators should account for these preintervention imbalances to minimize bias in their inferences about the model's association with postintervention outcomes.

County-Level Characteristics Associated with Variation in ESKD Mortality in the United States, 2010-2018

Background

Geographic and neighborhood-level factors, such as poverty and education, have been associated with an increased risk for incident ESKD, likelihood of receiving pre-ESKD care, and likelihood of receiving a transplant. However, few studies have examined whether these same factors are associated with ESKD mortality. In this study, we examined county-level variation in ESKD mortality and identified county-level characteristics associated with this variation.

Methods

We identified 1,515,986 individuals (aged 18-84 years) initiating RRT (dialysis or transplant) between 2010 and 2018 using the United States Renal Data System. Among 2781 counties, we estimated county-level, all-cause, age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) among patients with ESKD. We then identified county-level demographic (e.g., percent female), socioeconomic (e.g., percent unemployed), healthcare (e.g., percent without health insurance), and health behavior (e.g., percent current smokers) characteristics associated with ASMR using multivariable hierarchic linear mixed models and quantified the percentage of ASMR variation explained by county-level characteristics.

Results

County-level ESKD ASMR ranged from 45 to 1022 per 1000 person-years (PY) (mean, 119 per 1000 PY). ASMRs were highest in counties located in the Tennessee Valley and Appalachia regions, and lowest in counties located in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Southern California. In fully adjusted models, county-level characteristics significantly associated with higher ESKD mortality included a lower percentage of Black residents (-4.94 per 1000 PY), lower transplant rate (-4.08 per 1000 PY), and higher healthcare expenditures (5.21 per 1000 PY). Overall, county-level characteristics explained 19% of variation in ESKD mortality.

Conclusions

Counties with high ESKD-related mortality may benefit from targeted and multilevel interventions that combine knowledge from a growing evidence base on the interplay between individual and community-level factors associated with ESKD mortality.

A scoping review of inequities in access to organ transplant in the United States

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.

A Cascade of Structural Barriers Contributing to Racial Kidney Transplant Inequities

Stark racial disparities in access to and receipt of kidney transplantation, especially living donor and pre-emptive transplantation, have persisted despite decades of investigation and intervention. The causes of these disparities are complex, are inter-related, and result from a cascade of structural barriers to transplantation which disproportionately impact minoritized individuals and communities. Structural barriers contributing to racial transplant inequities have been acknowledged but are often not fully explored with regard to transplant equity. We describe longstanding racial disparities in transplantation, and we discuss contributing structural barriers which occur along the transplant pathway including pretransplant health care, evaluation, referral processes, and the evaluation of transplant candidates. We also consider the role of multilevel socio-contextual influences on these processes. We believe focused efforts which apply an equity lens to key transplant processes and systems are required to achieve greater structural competency and, ultimately, racial transplant equity.

Racism and Kidney Health: Turning Equity Into a Reality

Kidney disease continues to manifest stark racial inequities in the United States, revealing the entrenchment of racism and bias within multiple facets of society, including in our institutions, practices, norms, and beliefs. In this perspective, we synthesize theory and evidence to describe why an understanding of race and racism is integral to kidney care, providing examples of how kidney health disparities manifest interpersonal and structural racism. We then describe racialized medicine and "colorblind" approaches as well as their pitfalls, offering in their place suggestions to embed antiracism and an "equity lens" into our practice. We propose examples of how we can enhance kidney health equity by enhancing our structural competency, using equity-focused race consciousness, and centering investigation and solutions around the needs of the most marginalized. To achieve equitable outcomes for all, our medical institutions must embed antiracism and equity into all aspects of advocacy, policy, patient/community engagement, educational efforts, and clinical care processes. Organizations engaged in kidney care should commit to promoting structural equity and eliminating potential sources of bias across referral practices, guidelines, research agendas, and clinical care. Kidney care providers should reaffirm our commitment to structurally competent patient care and educational endeavors in which empathy and continuous self-education about social drivers of health and inequity, racism, and bias are integral. We envision a future in which kidney health equity is a reality for all. Through bold collective and sustained investment, we can achieve this critical goal.

Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Access to High-Quality Dialysis Treatment in Chicago: Does Neighborhood Racial/Ethnic Composition Matter?

OBJECTIVES

Blacks and Hispanics face a higher incidence rate of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and tend to experience poorer access to quality health care compared with Whites. Income, education, and insurance coverage differentials are typically identified as risk factors, but neighborhood-level analyses may provide additional insights. We examine whether neighborhood racial composition contributes to racial/ethnic inequities in access to high-quality dialysis care in Chicago.

METHODS

Data are drawn from the United States Renal Data System merged to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program file and the American Community Survey (2005-2009) for facility and neighborhood characteristics (N = 2797). Outcomes included (1) spatial access (travel time to dialysis facilities) and (2) realized access (actual use of quality care). Neighborhood racial/ethnic composition was categorized into four types: predominantly White, Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods, and racially integrated neighborhoods.

RESULTS

Blacks lived closer to a dialysis facility but traveled the same distance to their own dialysis compared with Whites. Hispanics had longer travel time to any dialysis than Whites, and the difference between Hispanics and Whites became no longer significant after adjusting for neighborhood racial/ethnic composition. Blacks and Hispanics had better access to a high-quality facility if they lived in integrated neighborhoods (OR = 1.85 and 3.77, respectively, p < 0.01) or in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of their own race/ethnicity (OR = 1.68 for Blacks in Black neighborhoods and 1.92 for Hispanics in Hispanic neighborhoods, p < 0.05) compared with Whites in predominantly White neighborhoods.

CONCLUSION

Expanding opportunities for Blacks and Hispanics to gain access to racially integrated and minority neighborhoods may help alleviate racial/ethnic inequities in access to quality care among kidney disease patients.

Education Strategies in Dialysis Centers Associated With Increased Transplant Wait-listing Rates

BACKGROUND

Transplant education in dialysis centers can increase access to kidney transplant; however, dialysis center transplant barriers are common, and limited research identifies the most effective transplant education approaches.

METHODS

We surveyed transplant educators in 1694 US dialysis centers about their transplant knowledge, use of 12 education practices, and 8 identified education barriers. Transplant wait-listing rates were calculated using US Renal Data System data.

RESULTS

Fifty-two percent of educators orally recommended transplant to patients, 31% had in-center transplant discussions with patients, 17% distributed print educational resources, and 3% used intensive education approaches. Distribution of print education (incident rate ratio: 1.021.151.30) and using >1 intensive education practice (1.001.111.23) within dialysis centers were associated with increased wait-listing rates. Several dialysis center characteristics were associated with reduced odds of using education strategies leading to increased wait-listing. Centers with greater percentages of uninsured patients (odds ratio [OR]: 0.960.970.99), in rural locations (OR: 0.660.790.95), with for-profit ownership (OR: 0.640.770.91), and with more patients older than 65 years (OR: 0.050.110.23) had lower odds of recommending transplant, while centers with a higher patient-to-staff ratio were more likely to do so (OR: 1.011.031.04). Language barriers (OR: 0.480.640.86) and having competing work priorities (OR: 0.400.530.70) reduced the odds of distributing print education. Providers with greater transplant knowledge were more likely to use >1 intensive educational strategy (OR: 1.011.271.60) while providers who reported competing work priorities (OR: 0.510.660.84) and poor communication with transplant centers (OR: 0.580.760.98) were less likely to do so.

CONCLUSIONS

Educators should prioritize transplant education strategies shown to be associated with increasing wait-listing rates.

Association of sociocultural factors with initiation of the kidney transplant evaluation process

Although research shows that minorities exhibit higher levels of medical mistrust, perceived racism, and discrimination in healthcare settings, the degree to which these underlying sociocultural factors preclude end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients from initiating kidney transplant evaluation is unknown. We telephone surveyed 528 adult ESRD patients of black or white race referred for evaluation to a Georgia transplant center (N = 3) in 2014-2016. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between sociocultural factors and evaluation initiation, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics. Despite blacks (n = 407) reporting higher levels of medical mistrust (40.0% vs 26.4%, P < .01), perceived racism (55.5% vs 18.2%, P < .01), and experienced discrimination (29.0% vs 15.7%, P < .01) than whites (n = 121), blacks were only slightly less likely than whites to initiate evaluation (49.6% vs 57.9%, P = .11). However, after adjustment, medical mistrust (odds ratio [OR]: 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39, 0.91), experienced discrimination (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.95), and perceived racism (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.92) were associated with lower evaluation initiation. Results suggest that sociocultural disparities exist in early kidney transplant access and occur despite the absence of a significant racial disparity in evaluation initiation. Interventions to reduce disparities in transplantation access should target underlying sociocultural factors, not just race.

Factors Associated With Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of Dialysis Recipients

Chronic kidney failure may contribute to the diminished quality of life of African American women who care for adults affected by the disorder. Few studies document the quality of life of these caregivers. For this descriptive correlational study, caregiver demographic, caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, family functioning, and quality-of-life self-report data from 75 African American women were extracted from an existing database. Ferrans' Conceptual Model of Quality of Life guided the selection of study variables. Several significant associations were found. Caregiver education, employment status, marital status, and caregiver burden explained 63% of the variance in the caregivers' quality of life. Findings support the need to explore further and design interventions to improve the quality of life of working African American women supporting individuals with chronic kidney failure.

Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratio to Assess Performance of Transplant Referral among Dialysis Facilities

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

For patients with ESRD, referral from a dialysis facility to a transplant center for evaluation is an important step toward kidney transplantation. However, a standardized measure for assessing clinical performance of dialysis facilities transplant access is lacking. We describe methodology for a new dialysis facility measure: the Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratio.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Transplant referral data from 8308 patients with incident ESRD within 249 dialysis facilities in the United States state of Georgia were linked with US Renal Data System data from January of 2008 to December of 2011, with follow-up through December of 2012. Facility-level expected referrals were computed from a two-stage Cox proportional hazards model after patient case mix risk adjustment including demographics and comorbidities. The Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratio (95% confidence interval) was calculated as a ratio of observed to expected referrals. Measure validity and reliability were assessed.

RESULTS

Over 2008-2011, facility Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratios in Georgia ranged from 0 to 4.87 (mean =1.16, SD=0.76). Most (77%) facilities had observed referrals as expected, whereas 11% and 12% had Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratios significantly greater than and less than expected, respectively. Age, race, sex, and comorbid conditions were significantly associated with the likelihood of referral, and they were included in risk adjustment for Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratio calculations. The Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratios were positively associated with evaluation, waitlisting, and transplantation (r=0.46, 0.35, and 0.20, respectively; P<0.01). On average, approximately 33% of the variability in Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratios was attributed to between-facility variation, and 67% of the variability in Standardized Transplantation Referral Ratios was attributed to within-facility variation.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of observed variation in dialysis facility referral performance was due to characteristics within a dialysis facility rather than patient factors included in risk adjustment models. Our study shows a method for computing a facility-level standardized measure for transplant referral on the basis of a pilot sample of Georgia dialysis facilities that could be used to monitor transplant referral performance of dialysis facilities.

Assessing Transplant Education Practices in Dialysis Centers: Comparing Educator Reported and Medicare Data

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that dialysis centers inform new patients of their transplant options and document compliance using the CMS-2728 Medical Evidence Form (Form-2728). This study compared reports of transplant education for new dialysis patients reported to CMS with descriptions from transplant educators (predominantly dialysis nurses and social workers) of their centers' quantity of and specific educational practices. The goal was to determine what specific transplant education occurred and whether provision of transplant education was associated with center-level variation in transplant wait-listing rates.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Form-2728 data were drawn for 1558 incident dialysis patients at 170 centers in the Heartland Kidney Network (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) in 2009-2011; educators at these centers completed a survey describing their transplant educational practices. Educators' own survey responses were compared with Form-2728 reports for patients at each corresponding center. The association of quantity of transplant education practices used with wait-listing rates across dialysis centers was examined using multivariable negative binomial regression.

RESULTS

According to Form-2728, 77% of patients (n=1203) were informed of their transplant options within 45 days. Educators, who reported low levels of transplant knowledge themselves (six of 12 questions answered correctly), most commonly reported giving oral recommendations to begin transplant evaluation (988 informed patients educated, 81% of centers) and referrals to external transplant education programs (959 informed patients educated, 81% of centers). Only 18% reported having detailed discussions about transplant with their patients. Compared with others, centers that used more than three educational activities (incident rate ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.73) had higher transplant wait-listing rates.

CONCLUSIONS

While most educators inform new patients that transplant is an option, dialysis centers with higher wait-listing rates use multiple transplant education strategies.

Geographic variation and neighborhood factors are associated with low rates of pre-end-stage renal disease nephrology care

Geographic variation of pre-end-stage renal disease (pre-ESRD) nephrology care has not been studied across the United States. Here we sought to identify geographic differences in pre-ESRD care, assess for county-level geographic and sociodemographic risk factors, and correlate with patient outcomes using facility-level mortality. Patients from 5387 dialysis facilities across the United States from 2007 to 2010 were included from the Dialysis Facility Report. Marginal generalized estimating equations were used for modeling with geographic cluster analysis to detect clusters of facilities with low rates of pre-ESRD care. On average, 67% of patients received pre-ESRD care in the United States but with significant variability across regions ranging from 3 to 99%. Five geographic clusters of facilities with low rates of pre-ESRD care were the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Baltimore, along with Southern states along the Mississippi River. Dialysis facilities with the lowest rates of pre-ESRD care were more likely to be located in urban counties with high African-American populations and low educational attainment. A 10% higher proportion of patients receiving pre-ESRD care was associated with 1.3% lower patient mortality as reflected by facility-level mortality. Thus, geographic and sociodemographic factors can be used to design quality improvement initiatives to increase access to nephrology care nationwide and improve patient outcomes.

The RaDIANT community study protocol: community-based participatory research for reducing disparities in access to kidney transplantation

Background

The Southeastern United States has the lowest kidney transplant rates in the nation, and racial disparities in kidney transplant access are concentrated in this region. The Southeastern Kidney Transplant Coalition (SEKTC) of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina is an academic and community partnership that was formed with the mission to improve access to kidney transplantation and reduce disparities among African American (AA) end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in the Southeastern United States.

Methods/Design

We describe the community-based participatory research (CBPR) process utilized in planning the Reducing Disparities In Access to kidNey Transplantation (RaDIANT) Community Study, a trial developed by the SEKTC to reduce health disparities in access to kidney transplantation among AA ESRD patients in Georgia, the state with the lowest kidney transplant rates in the nation. The SEKTC Coalition conducted a needs assessment of the ESRD population in the Southeast and used results to develop a multicomponent, dialysis facility-randomized, quality improvement intervention to improve transplant access among dialysis facilities in GA. A total of 134 dialysis facilities are randomized to receive either: (1) standard of care or “usual” transplant education, or (2) the multicomponent intervention consisting of transplant education and engagement activities targeting dialysis facility leadership, staff, and patients within dialysis facilities. The primary outcome is change in facility-level referral for kidney transplantation from baseline to 12 months; the secondary outcome is reduction in racial disparity in transplant referral.

Discussion

The RaDIANT Community Study aims to improve equity in access to kidney transplantation for ESRD patients in the Southeast.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02092727.