Disparities in access to lung transplantation for patients with cystic fibrosis by socioeconomic status

Bradley S. Quon, Kevin Psoter, Nicole Mayer-Hamblett, Moira L. Aitken, Christopher I. Li, Christopher H. Goss

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rationale: Although previous studies suggest that access to care for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) does not vary appreciably by socioeconomic status (SES), disparities with respect to access to lung transplantation for patients with CF are largely unknown. Objectives: To determine whether access to lung transplantation for patients with CF differs according to SES. Methods: Observational study involving 2,167 adult patients with CF from the CF Foundation Patient registry who underwent their first lung transplant evaluation between 2001 and 2009. The primary outcome was acceptance for lung transplant after initial evaluation. The main SES indicator was Medicaid status. Alternate SES indicators included race, educational attainment, ZIP code-level median household income, and driving time from residence to closest lung transplant center. Measurements and Main Results: The odds that Medicaid recipients were not accepted for lung transplant were 1.56-fold higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27-1.92) than patients without Medicaid, after multivariate adjustment for demographic characteristics, disease severity, and potential contraindications to lung transplant, and before or after use of the lung allocation score. This association was independent of other SES indicators, including race, educational attainment, ZIP code-level median household income, and driving time to closest transplant center (odds ratio [OR] = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.10-1.72). Patients not completing high school (OR = 2.37; 95% CI, 1.49-3.79) and those residing in the lowest (vs. highest) ZIP code median household income category (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.01-1.93) also experienced a higher odds of not being accepted for lung transplant in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: In this nationally representative study of adult patients with CF, multiple indicators of low SES were associated with higher odds of not being accepted for lung transplant.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1008-1013
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
Volume186
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 15 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Health care access
  • Health status disparities
  • Lung transplantation
  • Socioeconomic status

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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