Zeitschrift für Nephrologie und Therapeutik

Socioeconomic Factors in Access to Renal Transplantation

Abstract

Gurprataap S Sandhu *,Pradeep Dhakarwal

Background: Traditional socio-economic status (SES) factors that have been associated with access to renal transplantation include race, gender and income. However, these traditional factors are neither specific nor sensitive for ‘at risk’ status. There are now new and comprehensive SES assessment tools like the Social adaptability index (SAI) that provide an accurate and reliable estimate of an individual’s social adaptability, and have been shown to predict graft failure and access to renal transplantation. Summary: In this review we describe the various SES factors that have been shown to be associated with graft failure and access to renal transplantation. We also describe novel methods to quantify SES like the SAI. We also discuss, based on literature review, potential interventions to improve access to renal transplantation in individuals with lower SES. Conclusion: There are several SES factors associated with access to renal transplantation. Quantifying SES through tools like SAI can aid in identifying at risk patients, and thereby, can assist in targeting interventions towards patients most likely to benefit from them and reducing disparities in access to renal transplantation.