Policies to promote timely referral for kidney transplantation

Semin Dial. 2020 Jan;33(1):58-67 doi: 10.1111/sdi.12860.
Abstract

There are numerous patient, provider, and health system barriers to accessing kidney transplantation. Patient barriers such as sociocultural and clinical characteristics and provider factors such as provider knowledge and awareness of transplantation play important roles in facilitating transplant. Health system factors like misaligned incentives and quality metrics for dialysis facilities and transplant centers also influence transplant access. While numerous studies have documented the impact of these barriers on wait-listing and transplant, few studies have examined referral from a dialysis facility to a transplant center and start of the transplant evaluation process. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require that dialysis facilities educate patients about transplant, there are no guidelines for the content and objectives for this education. In addition, policies to require timely referral for transplantation have been considered by CMS but are difficult to implement without national data on referral. Federal policies should be amended to mandate transplant center submission of referral data-while decreasing the unfunded mandate to collect other unusable data currently collected as part of regulatory monitoring of transplant centers-to promote timely access to transplant, increased transplant rates, and to better understand the multilevel barriers and facilitators to transplant referral.

Metadata
Organisation: Patzer, Rachel E. Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Patzer, Rachel E. Department of Surgery, Health Services Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Patzer, Rachel E. Emory Transplant Center, Atlanta, GA, USA. Patzer, Rachel E. Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pastan, Stephen O. Department of Medicine, Health Services Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pastan, Stephen O. Department of Surgery, Health Services Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pastan, Stephen O. Emory Transplant Center, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pastan, Stephen O. Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Funding: national institute on minority health and
Publication type: Guideline
Organ: Kidney
Language: English
MeSH terms: Health Policy; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Kidney Transplantation; Patient Education as Topic; Patient Selection; Referral and Consultation; Tissue and Organ Procurement; United States; Waiting Lists; Health Disparities