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Liver Transplants and Access for Black Patients

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Running head: LIVER TRANSPLANTS AND ACCESS FOR BLACK PATIENTS

Liver Transplants and Access for Black Patients

Liver Transplants and Access for Black Patients

Introduction There have been over 1,600 people who died waiting for liver transplants. The shortage of donated livers for the 16,000 people who continue to wait is growing. The national registry, United Network of Organ Sharing, is in charge of the liver allocation system and has been under fire to make the system equal among all the recipients. In 2002, the old system was scrapped, and a new system called Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) was developed. (USA Today, 2008). This paper reveals a recent study done to assess the new liver allocation, MELD system. Concerns regarding the equality of the new system to the listed recipients are questionable. Disparities were found from previous research studies of the old system, and researchers were asked to create a new system that is equal for all. The newspaper article discusses the new study and its findings. (USA Today, 2008). The federal government called for a new system of liver allocation after study findings suggested the old system favored white patients over black patients waiting on a liver transplant. In a study done by Duke University, the new MELD system finding show blacks now have a greater chance of survival than with the old system. The old and new systems require recipients to list with the United Network for Organ Sharing to receive a donated liver. The old system was based upon how long the recipient has been on the waiting list, not the acuity of the recipient. The survival rate for blacks under the old system was 50%, in comparison to white recipients. The Black recipients were usually sicker when listing on the network. This may be largely due to seeking healthcare late or inability to get specialized physicians for care. The reasons are not clear. (USA Today, 2008).

Under the new system, three blood lab tests scores are combined and a prediction is made of the “patient’s risk of death within three months”. (USA Today, 2008). The allocation of livers is based on the scores. Therefore, the sickest patients on the list would receive livers first, instead of being passed over because of how long they have been on the list. Pre-MELD, 49% of blacks or 810 on the list received liver transplants, compared to 52% or 10, 202 whites. (USA Today, 2008). The purpose of this study is to determine if a connection exists between race, gender and liver transplantation after implementation of the new MELD system. The researchers divided the population into two groups of adult white and black patients, aged 18 and over. After certain criteria were meant for the recipients, multiple variables were taken into account, such as: race, gender, and geographical area. The groups consisted of between 21,000-pre-MELD and 23,000-post-MELD. A MELD score was used for the patients to predict the time of death and odds of the patient being a liver transplant recipient or dying within 3 years of being listed. (USA Today, 2008). The measurements in the study are ratio data. A t-test would be used to show differences between the groups. Other tests, such as X^2 could also be used for testing the variables in categories. Correlation between race, MELD score calculations, region, and gender has to be examined. There could be reasons a recipient would be removed from the list, such as: recipient died, other acute illness or received a transplant. (Bennett, Briggs & Triola, 2008). The results of the study showed post-MELD, 47% of blacks or 849 received transplants in comparison to 42% or 8,492 whites. The findings are significant; however, the MELD did not improve the risk of dying for women awaiting liver transplantation. A woman has a 30% more chance than a man of becoming too ill to receive a transplant or dying under the new system. This finding was of no significance before. (USA Today, 2008). The researchers used a large sample group and the data is complex, so a statistical package would need to be used to collect and organize the data. Confidence intervals and P values would be significant with this study to examine the differences in variables. There was very little information in this newspaper article, so assumptions are made. (Bennett, Briggs & Triola, 2008).
Conclusion
While the new MELD system of liver allocation may address the race differences, there are more studies to be done to confront the significance of the finding of women awaiting liver transplants. Additional research studies should be examined regarding recipient wait times. The article states some local patients will receive a transplant before other patients, depending on demands in their states. (USA Today, 2008).

References
Bennett, J., Briggs, W. & Triola, M. (2008). Statistical reasoning for everyday life, (3rd Ed.)
Pearson: Addison-Wesley.
USA Today. (November 25, 2008). Liver transplants go to sickest, access for black patients up Retrieved November 25, 2008 from website: http://www.usatoday.com.

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