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Use of Population-based Data to Demonstrate How Waitlist-based Metrics Overestimate Geographic Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant Care

Authors :
Goldberg, D.S.
French, B.
Sahota, G.
Wallace, A.E.
Lewis, J.D.
Halpern, S.D.
Source :
American journal of transplantation; October 2016, Vol. 16 Issue: 10 p2903-2911, 9p
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

Liver allocation policies are evaluated by how they impact waitlisted patients, without considering broader outcomes for all patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) not on the waitlist. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using two nationally representative databases: HealthCore (2006–2014) and five-state Medicaid (California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania; 2002–2009). United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) linkages enabled ascertainment of waitlist- and transplant-related outcomes. We included patients aged 18–75 with ESLD (decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma) using validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9)–based algorithms. Among 16 824 ESLD HealthCore patients, 3-year incidences of waitlisting and transplantation were 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] : 15.0–16.6%) and 8.1% (7.5–8.8%), respectively. Among 67 706 ESLD Medicaid patients, 3-year incidences of waitlisting and transplantation were 10.0% (9.7–10.4%) and 6.7% (6.5–7.0%), respectively. In HealthCore, the absolute ranges in states' waitlist mortality and transplant rates were larger than corresponding ranges among all ESLD patients (waitlist mortality: 13.6–38.5%, ESLD 3-year mortality: 48.9–62.0%; waitlist transplant rates: 36.3–72.7%, ESLD transplant rates: 4.8–13.4%). States’ waitlist mortality and ESLD population mortality were not positively correlated: ρ = -0.06, p-value = 0.83 (HealthCore); ρ = -0.87, p-value = 0.05 (Medicaid). Waitlist and ESLD transplant rates were weakly positively correlated in Medicaid (ρ = 0.36, p-value = 0.55) but were positively correlated in HealthCore (ρ = 0.73, p-value = 0.001). Compared to population-based metrics, waitlist-based metrics overestimate geographic disparities in access to liver transplantation.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16006135 and 16006143
Volume :
16
Issue :
10
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
American journal of transplantation
Publication Type :
Periodical
Accession number :
ejs62084986
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.13820