Do pre-transplant cultural factors predict health-related quality of life after kidney transplantation?

BACKGROUND: Post-transplant health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is associated with health outcomes for kidney transplant (KT) recipients. However, pretransplant predictors of improvements in post-transplant HRQOL remain incompletely understood. Namely, important pretransplant cultural factors, such as experience of discrimination, perceived racism in healthcare, or mistrust of the healthcare system, have not been examined as potential HRQOL predictors. Also, few have examined predictors of decline in HRQOL post-transplant. METHODS: Using data from a prospective cohort study, we examined HRQOL change pre- to post-transplant, and novel cultural predictors of the change. We measured physical, mental, and kidney-specific HRQOL as outcomes, and used cultural factors as predictors, controlling for demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and transplant knowledge covariates. RESULTS: Among 166 KT recipients (57% male; mean age 50.6 years; 61.4% > high school graduates; 80% non-Hispanic White), we found mental and physical, but not kidney-specific, HRQOL significantly improved post-transplant. No culturally related factors outside of medical mistrust significantly predicted change in any HRQOL outcome. Instead, demographic, knowledge, and clinical factors significantly predicted decline in each HRQOL domain: physical HRQOL-older age, more post-KT complications, higher pre-KT physical HRQOL; mental HRQOL-having less information pre-KT, greater pre-KT mental HRQOL; and, kidney-specific HRQOL-poorer kidney functioning post-KT, lower expectations for physical condition to improve, and higher pre-KT kidney-specific HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Instead of cultural factors, predictors of HRQOL decline included demographic, knowledge, and clinical factors. These findings are useful for identifying patient groups that may be at greater risk of poorer post-transplant outcomes, in order to target individualized support to patients.

Predicting Kidney Transplant Evaluation Non-attendance.

Non-attendance to kidney transplant evaluation (KTE) appointments is a barrier to optimal care for those with kidney failure. We examined the medical and socio-cultural factors that predict KTE non-attendance to identify opportunities for integrated medical teams to intervene. Patients scheduled for KTE between May, 2015 and June, 2018 completed an interview before their initial KTE appointment. The interview assessed various social determinants of health, including demographic (e.g., income), medical (e.g. co-morbidities), transplant knowledge, cultural (e.g., medical mistrust), and psychosocial (e.g., social support) factors. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the strongest predictor of KTE non-attendance. Our sample (N = 1119) was 37% female, 76% non-Hispanic White, median age 59.4 years (IQR 49.2-67.5). Of note, 142 (13%) never attended an initial KTE clinic appointment. Being on dialysis predicted higher odds of KTE non-attendance (OR 1.76; p = .02; 64% of KTE attendees on dialysis vs. 77% of non-attendees on dialysis). Transplant and nephrology teams should consider working collaboratively with dialysis units to better coordinate care, (e.g., resources to attend appointment or outreach to emphasize the importance of transplant) adjusting the KTE referral and evaluation process to address access issues (e.g., using tele-health) and encouraging partnership with clinical psychologists to promote quality of life for those on dialysis.

Are cultural or psychosocial factors associated with patient-reported outcomes at the conclusion of kidney transplant evaluation?

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant evaluation (KTE) is a period marked by many stressors for patients, which may lead to poorer patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Research on the association of cultural and psychosocial factors with PROs during KTE is lacking, even though cultural and psychosocial variables may mitigate the relationship between acceptance status and PROs. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort study of 955 adults referred for KTE, we examined whether cultural factors and psychosocial characteristics, assessed at the initiation of KTE, are associated with PROs at KTE completion, controlling for demographics and medical factors. Also, we analyzed whether these factors moderate the relationship between transplant acceptance status and PROs. RESULTS: In multivariable regression models, a stronger sense of mastery was associated with higher physical and mental QOL. A stronger sense of self-esteem was associated with higher kidney-specific QOL. Depression was associated with a lower mental QOL, but only in those who were accepted for transplant. Having low levels of external locus of control was associated with better mental QOL in those who were not accepted for transplant. Higher anxiety was associated with poorer kidney-specific QOL among those who were not accepted for KT, but trust in physician was only associated with greater satisfaction in transplant clinic service for those who were accepted for KT. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting interventions to increase patient mastery and external locus of control, and reduce depression and anxiety in patients undergoing kidney transplant evaluation may be useful approaches to improve their experience during this stressful period.

Cost Analysis of Remote Cardiac Rehabilitation Compared With Facility-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation for Coronary Artery Disease.

Remote cardiac rehabilitation (RCR) represents a promising, noninferior alternative to facility-based cardiac rehabilitation (FBCR). The comparable cost of RCR in US populations has yet to be extensively studied. The purpose of this prospective, patient-selected study of traditional FBCR versus a third-party asynchronous RCR platform was to assess whether RCR can be administered at a comparable cost and clinical efficacy to FBCR. Adult insured patients were eligible for enrollment after an admission for a coronary heart disease event. Patients selected either FBCR or Movn RCR, a 12-week telehealth intervention using an app-based platform and internet-capable medical devices. Clinical demographics, intervention adherence, cost-effectiveness, and hospitalizations at 1-year after enrollment were assessed from the Highmark claims database after propensity matching between groups. A total of 260 patients were included and 171 of those eligible (65.8%) received at least 1 cardiac rehabilitation session and half of the patients chose Movn RCR. The propensity matching produced a sample of 41 matched pairs. Movn RCR led to a faster enrollment and higher completion rates (80% vs 50%). The total medical costs were similar between Movn RCR and FBCR, although tended toward cost savings with Movn RCR ($10,574/patient). The cost of cardiac rehabilitation was lower in those enrolled in Movn RCR ($1,377/patient, p = 0.002). The all-cause and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations or emergency department visits in the year after enrollment in both groups were similar. In conclusion, this pragmatic study of patients after a coronary heart disease event led to equivalent total medical costs and lower intervention costs for an asynchronous RCR platform than traditional FBCR while maintaining similar clinically important outcomes.

Medication, Healthcare Follow-up, and Lifestyle Nonadherence: Do They Share the Same Risk Factors?

Barriers to medication adherence may differ from barriers in other domains of adherence. In this study, we assessed the association between pre-kidney transplantation (KT) factors with nonadherent behaviors in 3 different domains post-KT. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study with patient interviews at initial KT evaluation (baseline-nonadherence predictors in sociodemographic, condition-related, health system, and patient-related psychosocial factors) and at ≈6 mo post-KT (adherence outcomes: medications, healthcare follow-up, and lifestyle behavior). All patients who underwent KT at our institution and had ≈6-mo follow-up interview were included in the study. We assessed nonadherence in 3 different domains using continuous composite measures derived from the Health Habit Survey. We built multiple linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for baseline characteristics, to predict adherence outcomes. RESULTS: We included 173 participants. Black race (mean difference in adherence score: -0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.12 to -0.32) and higher income (mean difference: -0.34; 95% CI, -0.67 to -0.02) predicted lower medication adherence. Experience of racial discrimination predicted lower adherence (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12-0.76) and having internal locus of control predicted better adherence (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06-2.03) to healthcare follow-up. In the lifestyle domain, higher education (mean difference: 0.75; 95% CI, 0.21-1.29) and lower body mass index (mean difference: -0.08; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.03) predicted better adherence to dietary recommendations, but no risk factors predicted exercise adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Different nonadherence behaviors may stem from different motivation and risk factors (eg, clinic nonattendance due to experiencing racial discrimination). Thus adherence intervention should be individualized to target at-risk population (eg, bias reduction training for medical staff to improve patient adherence to clinic visit).

Social Determinants of Health and Race Disparities in Kidney Transplant.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Black patients have a higher incidence of kidney failure but lower rate of deceased- and living-donor kidney transplantation compared with White patients, even after taking differences in comorbidities into account. We assessed whether social determinants of health (e.g., demographics, cultural, psychosocial, knowledge factors) could account for race differences in receiving deceased- and living-donor kidney transplantation. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Via medical record review, we prospectively followed 1056 patients referred for kidney transplant (2010-2012), who completed an interview soon after kidney transplant evaluation, until their kidney transplant. We used multivariable competing risk models to estimate the cumulative incidence of receipt of any kidney transplant, deceased-donor transplant, or living-donor transplant, and the factors associated with each outcome. RESULTS: Even after accounting for social determinants of health, Black patients had a lower likelihood of kidney transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.99) and living-donor transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.26 to 0.95), but not deceased-donor transplant (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.26). Black race, older age, lower income, public insurance, more comorbidities, being transplanted before changes to the Kidney Allocation System, greater religiosity, less social support, less transplant knowledge, and fewer learning activities were each associated with a lower probability of any kidney transplant. Older age, more comorbidities, being transplanted before changes to the Kidney Allocation System, greater religiosity, less social support, and fewer learning activities were each associated with a lower probability of deceased-donor transplant. Black race, older age, lower income, public insurance, higher body mass index, dialysis before kidney transplant, not presenting with a potential living donor, religious objection to living-donor transplant, and less transplant knowledge were each associated with a lower probability of living-donor transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Race and social determinants of health are associated with the likelihood of undergoing kidney transplant.

Does Racial Disparity in Kidney Transplant Waitlisting Persist After Accounting for Social Determinants of Health?

BACKGROUND: African Americans (AA) have lower rates of kidney transplantation (KT) compared with Whites (WH), even after adjusting for demographic and medical factors. In this study, we examined whether the racial disparity in KT waitlisting persists after adjusting for social determinants of health (eg, cultural, psychosocial, and knowledge). METHODS: We prospectively followed a cohort of 1055 patients who were evaluated for KT between 3 of 10 to 10 of 12 and followed through 8 of 18. Participants completed a semistructured telephone interview shortly after their first KT evaluation appointment. We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Pearson chi-square tests to examine race differences in the baseline characteristics. We then assessed racial differences in the probability of waitlisting while accounting for all predictors using cumulative incidence curves and Fine and Gray proportional subdistribution hazards models. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the baseline characteristics between non-Hispanic AA and non-Hispanic WH. AA were 25% less likely (95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.96) to be waitlisted than WH even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health. In addition, being older, having lower income, public insurance, more comorbidities, and being on dialysis decreased the probability of waitlisting while having more social support and transplant knowledge increased the probability of waitlisting. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparity in kidney transplant waitlisting persisted even after adjusting for medical factors and social determinants of health, suggesting the need to identify novel factors that impact racial disparity in transplant waitlisting. Developing interventions targeting cultural and psychosocial factors may enhance equity in access to transplantation.

Unexpected Race and Ethnicity Differences in the US National Veterans Affairs Kidney Transplant Program.

BACKGROUND: Racial/ethnic minorities have lower rates of deceased kidney transplantation (DDKT) and living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) in the United States. We examined whether social determinants of health (eg, demographics, cultural, psychosocial, knowledge factors) could account for differences in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Kidney Transplantation (KT) Program. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter longitudinal cohort study of 611 Veterans undergoing evaluation for KT at all National VA KT Centers (2010-2012) using an interview after KT evaluation and tracking participants via medical records through 2017. RESULTS: Hispanics were more likely to get any KT (subdistribution hazard ratios [SHR] [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.8 [1.2-2.8]) or DDKT (SHR [95% CI]: 2.0 [1.3-3.2]) than non-Hispanic white in univariable analysis. Social determinants of health, including marital status (SHR [95% CI]: 0.6 [0.4-0.9]), religious objection to LDKT (SHR [95% CI]: 0.6 [0.4-1.0]), and donor preference (SHR [95% CI]: 2.5 [1.2-5.1]), accounted for some racial differences, and changes to Kidney Allocation System policy (SHR [95% CI]: 0.3 [0.2-0.5]) mitigated race differences in DDKT in multivariable analysis. For LDKT, non-Hispanic African American Veterans were less likely to receive an LDKT than non-Hispanic white (SHR [95% CI]: 0.2 [0.0-0.7]), but accounting for age (SHR [95% CI]: 1.0 [0.9-1.0]), insurance (SHR [95% CI]: 5.9 [1.1-33.7]), presenting with a living donor (SHR [95% CI]: 4.1 [1.4-12.3]), dialysis duration (SHR [95% CI]: 0.3 [0.2-0.6]), network of potential donors (SHR [95% CI]: 1.0 [1.0-1.1]), self-esteem (SHR [95% CI]: 0.4 [0.2-0.8]), transplant knowledge (SHR [95% CI]: 1.3 [1.0-1.7]), and changes to Kidney Allocation System policy (SHR [95% CI]: 10.3 [2.5-42.1]) in multivariable analysis eliminated those disparities. CONCLUSIONS: The VA KT Program does not exhibit the same pattern of disparities in KT receipt as non-VA centers. Transplant centers can use identified risk factors to target patients who may need more support to ensure they receive a transplant.