Significant racial disparities remain in kidney transplantation even when patients receive streamlined evaluation services, according to new research examining over 1,100 transplant candidates.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico studied patients enrolled in the Kidney Transplant Fast Track program between 2015 and 2018, following them through 2022. The program was designed to reduce barriers by coordinating appointments and testing for all kidney transplant candidates. While this approach successfully narrowed racial gaps in waitlisting and overall transplant rates, troubling differences emerged in the type of transplants received.
Black participants showed significantly higher rates of deceased donor kidney transplantation compared to white participants, even after accounting for numerous medical and social factors. Conversely, white participants were substantially more likely to receive living donor kidney transplants, which offer better outcomes including shorter wait times and improved long-term survival.
Medical mistrust emerged as a significant barrier, remaining associated with lower waitlisting rates even after the evaluation process was streamlined. This suggests that addressing structural barriers alone may be insufficient to achieve equity.
The study included 243 Black participants, 783 white participants, and 82 participants of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The research team collected data on experiences of discrimination in healthcare, perceived racism, medical mistrust, and trust in physicians to understand how these sociocultural factors influence outcomes.
Researchers concluded that personalized strategies building trust and addressing prior healthcare experiences may be necessary alongside systemic interventions to fully eliminate racial disparities in kidney transplantation access and outcomes.
See: “Healthcare-related sociocultural factors, racial disparities, and kidney transplant outcomes in the Kidney Transplant Fast Track program” (January 19, 2026)
https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.16.26344302
