The U.S. organ transplant program has eliminated the use of race-based calculations, which previously delayed kidney transplants for Black patients by making their kidneys appear healthier than they were. This change aims to address health inequities and will involve giving over 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates credit for lost waiting time, moving them higher on the priority list.
This revision addresses a broader issue where formulas in medical guidelines and risk calculators have historically disadvantaged people of color. The adjustment signifies a step toward rectifying these injustices and emphasizes that health inequities are avoidable and remediable. It is hoped that new medical algorithms will now use race to advance health equity rather than perpetuating racial disparities in health outcomes.
Black Americans face kidney failure at more than three times the rate of white Americans. Of the nearly 89,000 individuals waiting for a kidney transplant, 30% are Black, highlighting the urgent need for equitable healthcare practices.
