Transplant Quality Improvement Activity (QIA)

The Transplantation Gap: Understanding ESRD Treatment Choices

Despite Survival Benefits, Kidney Transplants Remain Underutilized in ESRD Patients

Kidney transplantation offers advantages over dialysis for most End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients in both quality of life and survival. In spite of the benefits of kidney transplantation, according to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), in 2016, 87.3 percent of all incident cases began renal replacement therapy with hemodialysis, 9.7 percent started with peritoneal dialysis, and just 2.8 percent received a preemptive kidney transplant. In addition, 63.1 percent of all prevalent ESRD cases were receiving hemodialysis therapy, 7.0 percent were being treated with peritoneal dialysis, and 29.6 percent had a functioning kidney transplant.1

Network Task Lead: Kou Kha-Moua 

References:

1. United States Renal Data System. 2018 USRDS annual data report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2018.

Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOS) in Network 4 Service Area: 

Free and Downloadable Resources for Patients and Providers

Explore our comprehensive collection of transplant-related resources designed to empower both patients and healthcare providers throughout the transplant journey. These materials cover everything from evaluation preparation to post-transplant support, all freely accessible to help improve transplant knowledge, access, and outcomes.