Understanding racial differences in deceased-donor kidney transplantation: Geography, poverty, language, and health insurance coverage

Despite the continued growth of diverse populations on dialysis, no prior studies have comprehensively compared the barriers to kidney transplantation among different racial and ethnic groups. This brief review summarizes key findings from a recent study that examined specific determinants of diminished access to, or delayed completion of, deceased-donor kidney transplantation among major racial-ethnic groups in the United States. In particular, we focus on the relative influence on transplantation rates of clinical factors, such as histocompatibility, residential geography, health insurance coverage, poverty, and other socioeconomic factors according to patient race or ethnicity. Dial. Transplant. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.