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Access to the kidney transplant waiting list: a time for reflection
Author(s) -
Pussell B. A.,
Bendorf A.,
Kerridge I. H.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02730.x
Subject(s) - medicine , waiting list , dialysis , equity (law) , transplantation , kidney transplantation , intensive care medicine , health care rationing , kidney transplant , economic growth , health care , economics , political science , law
The limited availability of deceased donor kidneys for transplantation in Australia continues to be a matter of concern. Analysis of registry data suggests that the current renal transplant waiting list under‐represents the real demand for three reasons. Firstly, a very low proportion of dialysis patients across all age groups are wait‐listed for kidney transplantation; secondly, the percentage of dialysis patients listed for transplantation has fallen over time across all Australian states and territories; and thirdly, the number of patients wait‐listed varies significantly across the country. We explore possible reasons for these issues and call for new eligibility criteria that are both transparent and justifiable and balance equity and utility.