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Review
. 2012 Jul;19(4):244-51.
doi: 10.1053/j.ackd.2012.01.008.

Understanding and overcoming barriers to living kidney donation among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

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Review

Understanding and overcoming barriers to living kidney donation among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

Tanjala S Purnell et al. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

In the United States, racial-ethnic minorities experience disproportionately high rates of ESRD, but they are substantially less likely to receive living donor kidney transplants (LDKT) compared with their majority counterparts. Minorities may encounter barriers to LDKT at several steps along the path to receiving it, including consideration, pursuit, completion of LDKT, and the post-LDKT experience. These barriers operate at different levels related to potential recipients and donors, health care providers, health system structures, and communities. In this review, we present a conceptual framework describing various barriers that minorities face along the path to receiving LDKT. We also highlight promising recent and current initiatives to address these barriers, as well as gaps in initiatives, which may guide future interventions to reduce racial-ethnic disparities in LDKT.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: There are no affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a direct financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. The authors have no financial or nonfinancial conflict to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multilevel Influences Contributing to Barriers to Living Kidney Donation for Racial-Ethnic Minorities at Each Stage of the LDKT Process

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