Race-free kidney test improves transplant access for Black patients

Removing race from a common test measuring eGFR that determines kidney function resulted in improved access to transplants for Black patients, something JAMA Internal Medicine says highlights how those algorithms can create health inequities. A study shows that, when considering race, the equation artificially increased estimated kidney function for Black patients, making them appear less sick and bumping them down a wait list for a transplant. The policy intervention led to an increase of 5.3 transplants for every 1,000 Black candidates. The study concludes that “these findings provide evidence that remedying the harms of race-based medicine may be a promising approach to address racial kidney transplant inequities.”