However, rural and geographical disparities also exist in wait-listing <\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, Oct. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Higher-quality dialysis facilities are associated with higher odds of transplant wait-listing, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Joel T. Adler, M.D., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues assessed whether patient, facility, and kidney transplant wait-listing characteristics are associated with variations in dialysis center quality. The analysis included 2013 to 2018 adult data from the U.S. Renal Data System and Medicare Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC).<\/p>\n The researchers found that higher-quality dialysis facilities were associated with higher odds of transplant wait-listing (odds ratio, 1.47 for five-star facilities versus one-star facilities). Compared with White patients, Black patients were less likely to be wait-listed for transplantation (odds ratio, 0.74). Patients at for-profit (odds ratio, 0.78) and rural (odds ratio, 0.63) facilities also were less likely to be wait-listed for transplantation versus those treated at nonprofit and urban facilities, respectively.<\/p>\n “Waitlisting rates for kidney transplantation should be considered for integration into the current Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services DFC star ratings to incentivize dialysis facility referral to transplant centers, inform patient choice, and drive quality improvement by increasing transplant waitlisting rates,” the authors write.<\/p>\n