Geographic Differences in Racial Disparities in Access to Kidney Transplantation

For the majority of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment.1 Despite the benefits of kidney transplantation over maintenance dialysis, systemic barriers in access to kidney transplantation have resulted in persistent racial and ethnic disparities in transplantation over time.2-4 In December of 2014, the United Network for Organ Sharing implemented a new kidney allocation system (KAS) with the intent of improving longevity of matching kidneys as well as reducing racial disparities in access to kidney transplantation.