Effect of Lost Wage Reimbursement to Kidney Donors on Living Donation Rates

Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Lost Wage Reimbursement to Potential Kidney Donors On Living Donation Rates

The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial. The investigators hypothesize that kidney transplant recipient candidates whose donors are offered reimbursement of lost wages (treatment arm) will have a higher probability of receiving a living donor kidney transplant than those randomized to no offer of lost wage reimbursement (control arm). The study expects to demonstrate incremental living donor kidney transplants by assisting individuals who wish to be living organ donors but would be otherwise unable to do so due to the obligatory forfeit of income during the evaluation, donation surgery, and post-operative recuperation periods.

Following confirmation of eligibility and written informed consent to participate in the study, kidney recipient candidates will be randomized at the time of their evaluation appointment to the treatment arm (donor eligible for reimbursement of lost wages) or the control arm (donor not eligible for reimbursement of lost wages). Consented, randomized recipients will be followed for up to one year from the baseline visit, with no required in-person visits beyond baseline. Data will be collected at baseline, six months after baseline, and one year after baseline. Demographic data (e.g. age, sex, race, ethnicity) will be collected on all recipients during screening and eligibility assessment. At baseline only, we will collect recipient household size, household income, and limited clinical data (on dialysis or not; date of dialysis initiation (if on dialysis); on deceased donor waiting list or not; date of wait-listing if on waiting list). At six months after baseline (and at one year after baseline, if applicable), we will collect recipient outcome data (date of receipt of living donor or deceased donor kidney transplant, if applicable; date of death, if applicable). Demographic data (e.g. age, sex, race, ethnicity), household size, and household income will be collected on all potential donors that come forward for participating recipients, ideally as soon as they are known to the participating transplant center, and no later than six months after baseline and one year after baseline, if applicable). Administrative and financial data will be required only from the subset of donors meeting all of the following criteria: Donors whose recipients are randomized to the treatment arm; AND Donors who will incur lost wages and wish to receive lost wage reimbursement A randomized controlled trial is the gold standard for program evaluation, since it allows for a statistical comparison of otherwise similar patients, and determination of a causal relationship between the intervention and the measured outcome. By comparing the outcomes of the control and treatment arms, we can determine whether the availability of reimbursement of lost wages for living donors increases the likelihood that the potential recipient will receive a living donor kidney within a year of their initial evaluation visit to a participating transplant center. We will also conduct secondary analyses of the timing of transplants and the demographics of the living donors.

Kidney transplant recipient candidates who are informed that their living donor candidates can receive reimbursement for lost wages incurred during the evaluation, donation surgery and recuperation

Kidney transplant recipient candidates who receive standard of care (donors are not offered wage reimbursement)

Kidney transplant recipients are informed that their donors may be eligible for lost wage reimbursement

Number of kidney transplant recipient candidates in intervention vs. control group who receive a living door transplant within one year of their first visit to the participating transplant center for evaluation as a potential kidney transplant recipient (time zero)

Difference in time to outcome events (living donor transplant, deceased donor transplant, removal from transplant waiting list, death) between control group and intervention arm

Effect of offering donor wage reimbursement on demographic characteristics of living kidney donor pool

Compare demographic characteristics of donors in the control and intervention arms 's living kidney donor pool with national living kidney donor characteristics

Inclusion Criteria: Age ≥18 at enrollment Meet participating transplant center standards to initiate an evaluation to receive a kidney transplant Kidney-only or kidney intended to be followed by other organ (e.g. deceased donor pancreas) First-time recipient candidate Capable of providing informed consent Exclusion Criteria: None

UCLA Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program in collaboration with the Transplant Research and Education Center (TREC)

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