National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 142 Research Studies DisplayedMcAteer J, Kalluri DD, Abedon RR
Anti-spike antibody durability after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
This study examined COVID-19 m-RNA vaccine antibody responses 6 months following the third vaccine dose (D3) of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination among adolescent solid organ transplant recipients (aSOTRs). The 34 participants were surveyed after they received the third dose of the vaccine and were sampled at 1-, 3-, and 6-months post-D3. All had positive anti-RBD antibody titers 6 months post-D3. Variations in titers occurred between 3 and 6 months post-D3, with 29% having decreased antibody levels at 6 months compared to 3 months and 7% reporting increased titers at 6 months. The remaining 18 had unchanged antibody titers compared to 3-month post-D3 levels. A total of 12% reported breakthrough infection within 6 months and 9% reported infection after 6-12 months following the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: McAteer J, Kalluri DD, Abedon RR .
Anti-spike antibody durability after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
Pediatr Transplant 2024 Feb; 28(1):e14671. doi: 10.1111/petr.14671.
Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccination, Transplantation, Children/Adolescents
Cron DC, Braun HJ, Ascher NL
Sex-based disparities in access to liver transplantation for waitlisted patients with model for end-stage liver disease score of 40.
The objective of this study was to determine association of sex with access to liver transplantation among candidates with the highest possible model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD 40). Using national transplant registry data, researchers compared liver offer acceptance and waitlist outcomes by sex for waitlisted liver transplant candidates who reached MELD 40. Results showed that even among candidates with high disease severity and equally high MELD scores, women have reduced access to liver transplantation and worse outcomes compared with men. The researchers concluded that policies addressing this disparity should consider factors beyond MELD score adjustments.
AHRQ-funded; HS028476.
Citation: Cron DC, Braun HJ, Ascher NL .
Sex-based disparities in access to liver transplantation for waitlisted patients with model for end-stage liver disease score of 40.
Ann Surg 2024 Jan; 279(1):112-18. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000005933..
Keywords: Disparities, Access to Care, Sex Factors, Transplantation
Strauss AT, Sidoti CN, Sung HC
Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support for liver transplant evaluation and considerations about fairness: a qualitative study.
This study’s objective was to use human-centered design methods to elicit providers' perceptions of AI-based clinical decision support (AI-CDS) for liver transplant listing decisions. This multicenter qualitative study involved semistructured interviews with 53 multidisciplinary liver transplant providers from 2 transplant centers. The author’s analysis yielded 6 themes important for the design of fair AI-CDS for liver transplant listing decisions: (1) transparency in the creators behind the AI-CDS and their motivations; (2) understanding how the AI-CDS uses data to support recommendations (ie, interpretability); (3) acknowledgment that AI-CDS could mitigate emotions and biases; (4) AI-CDS as a member of the transplant team, not a replacement; (5) identifying patient resource needs; and (6) including the patient's role in the AI-CDS.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Strauss AT, Sidoti CN, Sung HC .
Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support for liver transplant evaluation and considerations about fairness: a qualitative study.
Hepatol Commun 2023 Oct; 7(10). doi: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000239..
Keywords: Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Transplantation, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Feldman AG, Beaty BL, Ferrolino Ja
Safety and immunogenicity of live viral vaccines in a multicenter cohort of pediatric transplant recipients.
This study’s objective was to determine the safety and immunogenicity of live vaccines in pediatric liver and kidney transplant recipients. This cohort study included 281 children, of which 270 had received a liver transplant, 9 a kidney transplant, and 2 were liver-kidney transplant recipients. None of the children included had completed their primary measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine series and/or had displayed nonprotective serum antibody levels at enrollment between January 1, 2002, and February 28, 2023. Safety data was collected after these transplant recipients had received 1 to 3 doses or MMR vaccine and/or 1 to 3 doses of VZV vaccine. The median time from transplant to enrollment was 6.3 years, with the median age at first posttransplant vaccine 8.9 years. The majority of children developed protective antibodies following vaccination (107 of 149 varicella, 130 of 152 measles, 100 of 120 mumps, and 124 of 125 rubella). One year post vaccination, the majority of children who initially mounted protective antibodies maintained this protection (34 of 44 varicella, 45 of 49 measles, 35 of 42 mumps, 51 of 54 rubella). Five children developed varicella, all of which resolved within 1 week, and there were no cases of measles or rubella and no episodes or graft rejection within 1 month of vaccination. There was also no association between antibody response and immunosuppression level at the time of vaccination.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Feldman AG, Beaty BL, Ferrolino Ja .
Safety and immunogenicity of live viral vaccines in a multicenter cohort of pediatric transplant recipients.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Oct; 6(10):e2337602. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37602..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Vaccination, Transplantation
Bahakel H, Feldman AG, Danziger-Isakov L
Immunization of solid organ transplant candidates and recipients: a 2022 update.
The authors discussed the dissemination and implementation of up-to-date vaccine recommendations to aid primary care providers and multi-disciplinary transplant team members taking care of solid organ transplant patients. Key recommendations included: All age-appropriate vaccines should be administered pretransplant; nonimmune liver and kidney transplant recipients on low-dose immunosuppression can be given live vaccines posttransplant under careful medical observation; immunizations should be a prioritized part of pre- and posttransplant care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Bahakel H, Feldman AG, Danziger-Isakov L .
Immunization of solid organ transplant candidates and recipients: a 2022 update.
Infect Dis Clin North Am 2023 Sep; 37(3):427-41. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2023.03.004..
Keywords: Vaccination, Transplantation
Feldman AG, Beaty B, Everitt M
Survey of pediatric transplant center practices regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates for transplant candidates and living donors and use of COVID-19-positive deceased organs.
This study’s objective was to assess COVID-19 policies at US pediatric solid organ transplant centers. A 79-item survey was created and emailed between March and April 2022 to 200 UNOS Medical Directors detailing center COVID-19 vaccine policies for transplant candidates and living donors and use of grafts from COVID-19-positive deceased donors. The response rate was 77%. For children aged 5-15 years, 23% of centers have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, 27% anticipate implementing a future mandate, and 47% have not considered or do not anticipate implementing a mandate. For children ≥16 years, 32% of centers have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, 25% anticipate implementing a future mandate, and 40% have not considered or do not anticipate implementing a mandate. The top two reasons provided for not implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate were concerns about penalizing a child for their parent's decision and worsening inequities in transplant. Almost a third of 85 (27/85) kidney and liver living donor centers require vaccinations of donors. Twenty percent of centers accept organs from COVID-19-positive deceased donors.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Feldman AG, Beaty B, Everitt M .
Survey of pediatric transplant center practices regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates for transplant candidates and living donors and use of COVID-19-positive deceased organs.
Pediatr Transplant 2023 Sep; 27(6):e14513. doi: 10.1111/petr.14513..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Transplantation
Cron DC, Husain SA, King KL
Increased volume of organ offers and decreased efficiency of kidney placement under circle-based kidney allocation.
Researchers studied the volume of kidney offers received by transplant centers and the efficiency of kidney placement since the implementation of kidney allocation system 250 (KAS250). Findings showed no significant increase in deceased-donor transplant volume at the center level after KAS250; center-specific changes in offers did not correlate with changes in transplant volume. The number of centers to whom a kidney was offered before acceptance increased significantly after KAS250. The researchers concluded that these findings demonstrated the logistical burden of broader organ sharing. Future allocation policy changes need to balance equity in transplant access with operational efficiency in the allocation system.
AHRQ-funded; HS028476.
Citation: Cron DC, Husain SA, King KL .
Increased volume of organ offers and decreased efficiency of kidney placement under circle-based kidney allocation.
Am J Transplant 2023 Aug; 23(8):1209-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.05.005..
Keywords: Transplantation
Kaufmann MB, Tan JC, Chertow GM
Deceased donor kidney transplantation for older transplant candidates: a new microsimulation model for determining risks and benefits.
This study examined what potential health gains could be made by increasing kidney transplant access to older candidates from the use of a deceased donor kidney through developing and calibrating a microsimulation model of the transplantation process and long-term outcomes. The authors estimated risk equations for transplant outcomes using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), which contains data on all US transplants (2010-2019). They calibrated the model to key transplant outcomes and used acceptance sampling, retaining the best-fitting 100 parameter sets. They then examined life expectancy gains from allocating kidneys even of lower quality across patient subgroups defined by age and designated race/ethnicity. The best-fitting 100 parameter sets (among 4,000,000 sampled) enabled their model to closely match key transplant outcomes. They found clear survival benefits for older transplant candidates who receive deceased kidney donors, even lower quality ones, compared with remaining on the waitlist.
AHRQ-funded; HS026128.
Citation: Kaufmann MB, Tan JC, Chertow GM .
Deceased donor kidney transplantation for older transplant candidates: a new microsimulation model for determining risks and benefits.
Med Decis Making 2023 Jul; 43(5):576-86. doi: 10.1177/0272989x231172169..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation
Cron DC, Tsai TC, Patzer RE
The association of dialysis facility payer mix with access to kidney transplantation.
The purpose of this retrospective population-based cohort study was to evaluate the relationships between insurance status, facility-level payer mix, and 1-year incidence of wait-listing for access to kidney transplantation. The researchers utilized data from the United States Renal Data System from 2013 to 2018, and 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. The primary study outcome was patients added to a waiting list for kidney transplant within 1 year of dialysis initiation. The study found that a total of 233, 003 patients across 6565 facilities met the study inclusion criteria. Of 6565 dialysis facilities, the mean commercial payer mix was 21.2% with a standard deviation of 15.6 percentage points. Patient-level commercial insurance was related with an increased incidence of wait-listing. At the facility-level, greater commercial payer mix was related with increased wait-listing. However, after statistical adjustment, including adjusting for patient-level insurance status, commercial payer mix was not significantly associated with outcome.
AHRQ-funded; HS028476.
Citation: Cron DC, Tsai TC, Patzer RE .
The association of dialysis facility payer mix with access to kidney transplantation.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Jul; 6(7):e2322803. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.22803..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Access to Care, Transplantation
Strauss AT, Moughames E, Jackson JW
Critical interactions between race and the highly granular area deprivation index in liver transplant evaluation.
Researchers constructed a dataset for liver transplant disparities by linking individual patient-level data with the granular Area Deprivation Index. Their retrospective cohort study included 1377 adults who were referred to the researchers’ center for liver transplant evaluation. They tested for effect measure modification of the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status and transplant evaluation outcomes. They concluded that interventions that address neighborhood deprivation may benefit patients with low socioeconomic status as well as address racial and ethnic inequities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Strauss AT, Moughames E, Jackson JW .
Critical interactions between race and the highly granular area deprivation index in liver transplant evaluation.
Clin Transplant 2023 May; 37(5):e14938. doi: 10.1111/ctr.14938..
Keywords: Transplantation, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Solano QP, Thumma JR, Mullens C
Variation of ventral and incisional hernia repairs in kidney transplant recipients.
Researchers sought to evaluate hospital-level variation of ventral or incisional hernia repair (VIHR) among the kidney transplant population by performing a retrospective review of inpatient Medicare claims to identify patients who underwent kidney transplant, 2007-18. Their findings showed that the overall cumulative incidence of hernia repair varied substantially across hospital tertiles; patient and hospital characteristics also varied across tertile, most notably with diabetes and obesity. They concluded that future research will be needed to understand if program and surgeon level factors contribute to the observed variation in treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS025778.
Citation: Solano QP, Thumma JR, Mullens C .
Variation of ventral and incisional hernia repairs in kidney transplant recipients.
Surg Endosc 2023 Apr; 37(4):3173-79. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09505-2..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Surgery, Transplantation
Strauss AT, Sidoti CN, Purnell TS
Multicenter study of racial and ethnic inequities in liver transplantation evaluation: understanding mechanisms and identifying solutions.
This multicenter study examined racial and ethnic inequities in liver transplantation. The authors recruited participants from the liver transplantation (LT) teams including coordinators, advanced practice providers, physicians, social workers, dieticians, pharmacists, leadership at 2 major LT centers. They conducted 54 interviews and had 49 observation hours. They created a conceptual framework describing how transplant work system characteristics and other external factors may improve equity in the LT evaluation process. They proposed transplant center-level solutions (i.e., including but not limited to training of staff on health equity) to modifiable barriers in the clinical work system that could help patient navigation, reduce disparities, and improve access to care. Their findings call for an urgent need for transplant centers, national societies, and policy makers to focus efforts on improving equity (tailored, patient-centered resources) using the science of human factors and systems engineering.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Strauss AT, Sidoti CN, Purnell TS .
Multicenter study of racial and ethnic inequities in liver transplantation evaluation: understanding mechanisms and identifying solutions.
Liver Transpl 2022 Dec;28(12):1841-56. doi: 10.1002/lt.26532..
Keywords: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Transplantation, Disparities, Access to Care
Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O
Antibody response to three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
The purpose of this observational cohort study was to assess whether a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine would improve immunogenicity in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), and to report the antibody response and safety of a third mRNA vaccine dose (D3) in adolescent SOTRs. Forty-two participants received three BNT162b2 doses and one received three mRNA-1273 doses. Participants were 6-13 years from transplant (median 10 [IQR]), and heart transplant was the most common procedure, in 41.9% of the participants. 9.3% of participants reported pre-D1 SARS-CoV-2 infections and 9.3% reported breakthrough infections. The study found that 88.4% of adolescent SOTRs had positive antibody responses 1 month post-D3, an increase from 63–73% post-D2. 54.5% of participants with prior negative responses seroconverted and 100% with positive responses increased or remained at maximum titer. Titers remained stable 3 months post-D3. There were no vaccine-related adverse events and four breakthrough infections. The researchers concluded that although this was a convenience sample, the results suggest there is an antibody response benefit to a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in adolescent SOTRs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O .
Antibody response to three SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.
Am J Transplant 2022 Oct;22(10):2481-83. doi: 10.1111/ajt.17085..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Vaccination, Transplantation
Butler T, Cummings LS, Purnell TS
The case for prioritizing diversity in the transplantation workforce to advance kidney health equity.
The authors of this article propose a more diverse transplant workforce to address the problem of kidney transplant inequity. Black patients are disproportionately affected by kidney failure and systemic barriers to kidney transplantation such as delayed referrals, which may be due to clinician bias. Workforce diversity would help to alleviate the harm of implicit biases.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Butler T, Cummings LS, Purnell TS .
The case for prioritizing diversity in the transplantation workforce to advance kidney health equity.
J Am Soc Nephrol 2022 Oct; 33(10):1817-19. doi: 10.1681/asn.2022040429..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation, Workforce, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Israni AK, Schladt D, Bruin MJ
Deconstructing silos of knowledge around lung transplantation to support patients: a patient-specific search of scientific registry of transplant recipients data.
This article describes the development of the web site www.transplantcentersearch.org intended to support lung transplant patients by providing program-level data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) on each program in the United States. There is a high level of variation in selection criteria and although nearly half of recipients reside within 50 miles of their transplant program, >30% travel 100 miles or more. The web site allows patients to search for programs in the area of their choosing and receive information on the number of transplants and program factors that are most predictive of recipient survival after listing. Patients can also review information on recipients and donors at each program to further differentiate program options. This feature is patient-specific, allowing the patient to enter information about their clinical background and indicate general preferences for their treatment before receiving counts on recipients and donors matching their entries. The development of the site involved 2 phases. In Phase I the authors examined variations between programs using data on waitlist and transplant outcomes from the SRTR. Phase II involved interviews and focus groups with transplant candidates, recipients, and family members to gain insight into the decision-making process, barriers, and knowledge groups. In the future randomized trials will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the web site.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Israni AK, Schladt D, Bruin MJ .
Deconstructing silos of knowledge around lung transplantation to support patients: a patient-specific search of scientific registry of transplant recipients data.
Transplantation 2022 Aug;106(8):1517-19. doi: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004051..
Keywords: Transplantation, Registries, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Alvarado F, Cervantes CE, Crews DC
Examining post-donation outcomes in Hispanic/Latinx living kidney donors in the United States: a systematic review.
The purpose of this systematic qualitative review was to evaluate outcomes in Hispanic donors and examine how Hispanic ethnicity was presented. In October 2021, the researchers reviewed PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus for studies, with 18 meeting the inclusion criteria. Across the studies, Hispanic donors ranged between 6% and 21% of the donor populations. The study found that Hispanic donors were not at increased risk for end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, non-pregnancy-related hospitalizations, overall perioperative surgical complications or post-donation mortality compared to non-Hispanic White donors. Also compared to non-Hispanic White donors, most studies showed Hispanic donors were at higher risk for diabetes mellitus following nephrectomy; however, mixed findings were observed regarding the risk for post-donation chronic kidney disease and hypertension. The researchers concluded that future studies should explain variation in health outcomes by considering and assessing differences within the Hispanic donor population.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Alvarado F, Cervantes CE, Crews DC .
Examining post-donation outcomes in Hispanic/Latinx living kidney donors in the United States: a systematic review.
Am J Transplant 2022 Jul;22(7):1737-53. doi: 10.1111/ajt.17017..
Keywords: Transplantation, Kidney Disease and Health, Chronic Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Disparities
Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M
A critical analysis of the specific pharmacist interventions and risk assessments during the 12-month TRANSAFE Rx randomized controlled trial.
The objective of this study was to describe frequency and types of interventions made during a pharmacist-led, mobile health-based intervention of high-risk kidney transplant (KTX) recipients and to assess impact on patient risk levels. Primary pharmacist intervention types were medication reconciliation, patient education, and medication changes. The authors concluded that pharmacist-led mHealth may enhance opportunities for interventions and mitigate risk levels in KTX recipients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023754.
Citation: Gonzales HM, Fleming JN, Gebregziabher M .
A critical analysis of the specific pharmacist interventions and risk assessments during the 12-month TRANSAFE Rx randomized controlled trial.
Ann Pharmacother 2022 Jun; 56(6):685-90. doi: 10.1177/10600280211044792..
Keywords: Provider: Pharmacist, Medication: Safety, Medication, Risk, Transplantation, Kidney Disease and Health, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Wall SP, Castillo P, Shuchat Shaw F
Including medical footage and emotional content in organ donation educational videos for Latinx viewers.
The purpose of this 2 x 3 randomized controlled trial was to evaluate whether different types of videos shown in Latinx-owned barbershops and beauty salons affected deceased organ donor registration. Videos included medical footage of organ preservation and transplantation, as well as sad, uplifting, or unresolved stories. Impact was measured as it related to the impact of medical footage and storylines on three variables: registry enrollment, donation willingness and stage of change, and emotions. The study found that 14.8% of participants registered for deceased organ donation. Medical footage, sad, and unresolved stories did not differentially affect registration or willingness to donate organs. Compared to the uplifting story, the sad and unresolved stories increased sadness and decreased positive affect. The educational videos which included or excluded medical footage of organ preservation and transplantation and varying emotional levels of stories did not differentially affect registration. The researchers concluded that future work is necessary to analyze qualitative data that was collected with a subset of participants in order to report the qualitative reasons for participants' registration decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS016482.
Citation: Wall SP, Castillo P, Shuchat Shaw F .
Including medical footage and emotional content in organ donation educational videos for Latinx viewers.
Health Educ Behav 2022 Jun;49(3):424-36. doi: 10.1177/10901981211022240..
Keywords: Transplantation, Education: Patient and Caregiver, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Bowring MG, Massie AB, Schwarz KB
Survival benefit of split-liver transplantation for pediatric and adult candidates.
The patient and graft survival rates for split -liver transplantations (SLTs) among pediatric and adult recipients are similar to those of whole-liver transplantations (WLTs), yet SLTs are rarely used. The purpose of the study was to compare the survival benefit of accepting an offer of a splittable graft vs waiting for a subsequent offer. The researchers utilized data from the 2010 to 2018 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) on 1814 adult and 928 pediatric liver transplantation candidates ever offered a splittable graft, and compared the eventual mortality between patients who accepted vs declined an offer for an SLT. The study discovered that among adult candidates, acceptance of an SLT offer was associated with a 43% reduction in mortality, and within 1 year of declining an offer 39.3% received a WLT, and 7.9% died. In pediatric cases with a weight of less than or equal to 7 kilograms, acceptance of a split liver offer versus declining the offer was associated with a 63% reduction in mortality, and within 1 year of declining 45.8% received a WLT and 6.4% died. In the group of pediatric cases with weight greater than 7 kilograms there was no significant difference between acceptance of an SLT offer and decline. The study concluded that accepting an offer for SLT could significantly improve survival for adults and small children on the liver transplant waiting list.
AHRQ-funded; HS023876.
Citation: Bowring MG, Massie AB, Schwarz KB .
Survival benefit of split-liver transplantation for pediatric and adult candidates.
Liver Transpl 2022 Jun;28(6):969-82. doi: 10.1002/lt.26393..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Transplantation
Jacobson CE, Heximer A, Olmeda-Barrientos R
Language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites.
This research letter describes an analysis of language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites. The authors surveyed patient-facing educational websites of all 140 active, accredited US liver transplantation centers. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia had websites. Inclusion criteria was that they were using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network website. They analyzed each website for non-English content. Excluded were websites from Puerto Rico, as Spanish is the predominant governmental language. A total of 23 states had no transplant websites with online materials in a second language, and 34 sites (24.3%) had resources other than English on their website. California had the highest number of centers with resources in a language other than English, followed by Texas and New York. Spanish was the most common language available at 100% of sites that had resources other than English, followed by Arabic at 38.9% and Mandarin Chinese at 38.9%. A total of 108 different languages were represented among 10 state websites.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: Jacobson CE, Heximer A, Olmeda-Barrientos R .
Language accessibility of liver transplantation center websites.
Liver Transpl 2022 Apr; 28(4):722-24. doi: 10.1002/lt.26343..
Keywords: Transplantation, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy
Barreto EF, May HP, Schreier DJ
Development and feasibility of a multidisciplinary approach to AKI survivorship in care transitions: research letter.
The purpose of this study was to observe and describe the development and feasibility of a multidisciplinary approach to caring for acute kidney injury (AKI) survivors at care transitions (ACT). The studied population were adults with stage 3 AKI who were not discharging on dialysis and were established with a primary care provider at the authors’ academic medical center in the U.S. Preliminary data indicated that AKI survivors of interest could primarily be identified, educated, and followed up with using the multidisciplinary approach model, which also maximized the unique expertise of each team member. The authors concluded that this multidisciplinary ACT workflow supported by clinical decision support was feasible, scalable, and addressed gaps in existing care transition models.
AHRQ-funded; HS028060.
Citation: Barreto EF, May HP, Schreier DJ .
Development and feasibility of a multidisciplinary approach to AKI survivorship in care transitions: research letter.
Can J Kidney Health Dis 2022 Mar 6; 9:20543581221081258. doi: 10.1177/20543581221081258..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation, Transitions of Care
Kemme S, Yoeli D, Sundaram SS
Decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of the study was to explore and understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nationwide pediatric liver transplants. The researchers compared data for transplant waiting list additions, removals, and liver transplants during pre-COVID-19 (March-November 2016-2019), early COVID-19 (March-May 2020), and late COVID-19 (June-November 2020). The study results showed a 38% decrease in liver transplantations during early COVID-19, recovering to pre-pandemic rates during late COVID-19. White children had a 30% decrease in overall liver transplantation, while non-White children had a 44% decrease in overall liver transplantation. Additions to the waiting list decreased 25% during COVID-19, with Black transplant candidates the most affected, and children spent longer on the waiting list during early COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 (140 vs. 96 days). The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic decreased access to pediatric liver transplants, especially during early COVID-19. The researchers discussed that although the rate of pediatric liver transplants has resumed to pre-COVID-19 levels, racial disparities must be addressed.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Kemme S, Yoeli D, Sundaram SS .
Decreased access to pediatric liver transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pediatr Transplant 2022 Mar;26(2):e14162. doi: 10.1111/petr.14162..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Transplantation, Access to Care, Disparities
Gianaris K, Vargas GB, Johnson M
Perceived susceptibility to chronic kidney disease and hypertension self-management among Black and White live kidney donors.
This study examines the theory whether Black kidney donors are more likely than White donors to develop hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease after donation. The authors ascertained electronic medical records and phone survey data from live donors enrolled in the multi-center Wellness and Health Outcomes of LivE Donors (WHOLE-Donor) Hypertension Care Study between May 2013 and April 2020. The study cohort included 318 US-based live kidney donors who developed post-donation HTN with 57.6% female, 78.9% White, 18.6% Black, and a mean age of 46.7 years. Donors with diabetes or who were older than 50 years reported being moderately or strongly concerned about kidney disease. A large majority (87%) reported taking at least one action to help control blood pressure, with no significant differences by sociodemographic factors. They found no substantial differences in perceived susceptibility to kidney disease among Black and White donors, despite published evidence that Black donors may experience greater risk of developing kidney disease than White donors.
AHRQ-funded; HS024600.
Citation: Gianaris K, Vargas GB, Johnson M .
Perceived susceptibility to chronic kidney disease and hypertension self-management among Black and White live kidney donors.
Ethn Dis 2022 Spring;32(2):101-08. doi: 10.18865/ed.32.2.101..
Keywords: Kidney Disease and Health, Chronic Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Transplantation, Patient Self-Management, Blood Pressure
Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O
Antibody response to 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.
While many adult solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have impaired antibody response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination, pediatric SOTRs’ response has not been assessed. In this article, the researchers reported the immunogenicity and safety of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination in pediatric SOTRs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026510.
Citation: Qin CX, Auerbach SR, Charnaya O .
Antibody response to 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.
Am J Transplant 2022 Feb;22(2):669-72. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16841..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Vaccination, COVID-19, Transplantation
Thorsness R, Wang V, Patzer RE
Association of social risk factors with home dialysis and kidney transplant rates in dialysis facilities.
This study examines rates of home dialysis and transplant at dialysis facilities that serve patients with high social risk to understand how they fare under the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model.
AHRQ-funded; HS028285.
Citation: Thorsness R, Wang V, Patzer RE .
Association of social risk factors with home dialysis and kidney transplant rates in dialysis facilities.
JAMA 2021 Dec 14;326(22):2323-25. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.18372..
Keywords: Dialysis, Kidney Disease and Health, Transplantation, Risk