Link found between wealth and living kidney donation rates

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It seems money is a stronger influence than culture when deciding whether to be a living kidney donor.

While cultural differences have often been cited as a barrier to living kidney donation in certain racial and ethnic groups, Dr. Jagbir Gill and his colleagues have found a strong correlation between median household income and living kidney donation, with significantly lower rates of living donation in lower income populations, irrespective of race.  Dr. Gill is a transplant nephrologist at St. Paul’s Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at UBC.

“It could simply be that if you have less money it’s logistically more difficult to actually donate an organ,” he says.  “If you’re a living kidney donor you have to go through a whole medical workup, after that workup you have to undergoe surgery, and after that there is a recovery period.”

The study is based on US data, but Dr. Gill says the results might have implications in Canada.

Unlike the US, our health care system ensures access to quality health care irrespective of one’s financial situation.  However, there are a number of expenses associated with living kidney donation that are not fully covered in our system, such as lost wages from taking time off work to recover from surgery.

“That amounts to, for example, a fair amount of time off work,” says the doctor.  “Particularly after the surgery for recovery.”

And while there are ways to recover some money lost following surgery, Gill says “there is no way you’re really recuping all of your costs.”

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today