Vanessa Grubbs|Steven E. Gregorich|Eliseo J. Pérez?Stable|Chi-yuan Hsu
Health Literacy and Access to Kidney Transplantation
University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco
background objectives studies examined health literacy patients end stage kidney disease hypothesized inadequate health literacy hemodialysis population common associated poorer access kidney transplant waitlists design setting participants measurements enrolled 62 black white maintenance hemodialysis patients aged 18 75 measured health literacy using short form test functional health literacy adults primary outcomes 1 time dialysis start date referral date kidney transplant evaluation 2 time referral date date placed kidney transplant waitlist used cox proportional hazard models examine association health literacy adequate versus inadequate outcomes controlling demographics comorbid conditions results roughly one third 323 participants inadequate health literacy fortyseven 758 participants referred transplant evaluation among referred 40 851 waitlisted participants inadequate health literacy 78 lower hazard referral transplant evaluation adequate health literacy adjusted hazard ratio ahr 022 95 confidence interval 008 060 p 0003 hazard ratio waitlisted health literacy statistically different ahr 080 95 ci 039 161 p 05 conclusions inadequate health literacy common hemodialysis patient population associated lower hazard referral transplant evaluation strategies reduce impact health literacy kidney transplant process explored