Effects of race-neutral estimated glomerular filtration rate policies on access to kidney transplantation

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Motivated by potential inequities in access to transplantation stemming from the inclusion of Black race coefficients in estimated glomerular filtration rate formulas, the United States Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) implemented policies in 2022 and 2023 mandating the use of race-neutral estimated glomerular filtration rate formulas and the modification of waiting times for Black patients. We evaluated the impact of these policies on access to kidney transplantation using national registry data and supplementary OPTN data describing all waiting time modifications. The policy effects were assessed through segmented regression and difference-in-difference frameworks. There were no meaningful changes from the first mandate in the odds of a preemptively waitlisted patient being Black. The second mandate was associated with 3.8 (95% CI, 2.7-4.9; P < .001) additional deceased donor transplants per 100 person-years among the overall Black population, but 6.0 (95% CI, 4.7-7.3; P < .001) fewer deceased donor transplants per 100 person-years among the Black patients who did not receive waiting time modifications. There was evidence that the OPTN's second mandate had a positive impact on deceased donor transplant rates in the overall Black population, but a negative impact on Black patients who did not receive additional waiting time.