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Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Boulware, LE; Sudan, DL; Strigo, TS; Ephraim, PL; Davenport, CA; Pendergast, JF; Pounds, I; Riley, JA; Falkovic, M; Alkon, A; Hill-Briggs, F ...
Published in: Am J Transplant
June 2021

Lack of donors hinders living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) for African Americans. We studied the effectiveness of a transplant social worker intervention (TALK SWI) alone or paired with living donor financial assistance to activate African Americans' potential living kidney donors. African Americans (N = 300) on the transplant waiting list were randomly assigned to usual care; TALK SWI; or TALK SWI plus Living Donor Financial Assistance. We quantified differences in live kidney donor activation (composite rate of live donor inquiries, completed new live donor evaluations, or live kidney donation) after 12 months. Participants' mean age was 52 years, 56% were male, and 43% had annual household income less than $40,000. Most previously pursued LDKT. Participants were highly satisfied with TALK social workers, but they rarely utilized Financial Assistance. After 12 months, few (n = 39, 13%) participants had a new donor activation event (35 [12%] new donor inquiries; 17 [6%] new donor evaluations; 4 [1%] LDKT). There were no group differences in donor activation events (subdistribution hazard ratio [95% CI]: 1.09 [0.51-2.30] for TALK SWI and 0.92 [0.42-2.02] for TALK SWI plus Financial Assistance compared to Usual Care, p = 91). Alternative interventions to increase LDKT for African Americans on the waiting list may be needed. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02369354).

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Published In

Am J Transplant

DOI

EISSN

1600-6143

Publication Date

June 2021

Volume

21

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2175 / 2187

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Waiting Lists
  • Surgery
  • Social Workers
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Living Donors
  • Kidney Transplantation
  • Humans
  • Black or African American
  • 3204 Immunology
 

Citation

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MLA
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Boulware, L. E., Sudan, D. L., Strigo, T. S., Ephraim, P. L., Davenport, C. A., Pendergast, J. F., … Ellis, M. J. (2021). Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Am J Transplant, 21(6), 2175–2187. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.16403
Boulware, L Ebony, Debra L. Sudan, Tara S. Strigo, Patti L. Ephraim, Clemontina A. Davenport, Jane F. Pendergast, Iris Pounds, et al. “Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial.Am J Transplant 21, no. 6 (June 2021): 2175–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.16403.
Boulware LE, Sudan DL, Strigo TS, Ephraim PL, Davenport CA, Pendergast JF, et al. Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Am J Transplant. 2021 Jun;21(6):2175–87.
Boulware LE, Sudan DL, Strigo TS, Ephraim PL, Davenport CA, Pendergast JF, Pounds I, Riley JA, Falkovic M, Alkon A, Hill-Briggs F, Cabacungan AN, Barrett TM, Mohottige D, McElroy L, Diamantidis CJ, Ellis MJ. Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Am J Transplant. 2021 Jun;21(6):2175–2187.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Transplant

DOI

EISSN

1600-6143

Publication Date

June 2021

Volume

21

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2175 / 2187

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Waiting Lists
  • Surgery
  • Social Workers
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Living Donors
  • Kidney Transplantation
  • Humans
  • Black or African American
  • 3204 Immunology