Providers and Patients Differ in Their Opinions on Travel for Organ Transplantation

• Published in: The Journal of heart and lung transplantation Vol. 40; no. 4; p. S227
• Main Authors: Nguyen, A.B., Chung, B.B., Besser, S.A., Bennett, A., Rodgers, D., Kim, G., Pinney, S., Uriel, N., Aronsohn, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.04.2021
• ISSN: 1053-2498; 1557-3117
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2021.01.652

There is no published literature on provider and patient opinions regarding travel for organ transplantation (TOT) in the United States (US). We performed a survey at a single institution to gauge opinions regarding this controversial topic. In this cross-sectional, hospital-based study, a web-based survey was sent to providers by email. Primary care clinic patients were surveyed while waiting in clinic. The survey assessed responder characteristics and opinions on TOT. Responses between groups were compared. Baseline demographics of providers and patients, respectively, showed similar median age (40, 54 years), female predominance (61%, 62%), and differing ethnicities (69% Caucasian, 54% Black). Of providers, 76.7% were physicians. Most providers and patients believed the following groups should be eligible to receive organs: US citizens (100%, 100%), non-citizen legal residents (99%, 97%), and people who live in the US who are not citizens or legal residents (78%, 75%). Fewer providers than patients believed that citizens of other countries should definitely be allowed to travel to the US to get organ transplant (24.4%, 40.7%, p=0.002). When asked to prioritize two patients in equal need of a transplant (one a non-citizen legal resident, the other someone traveling to the US for transplant), significantly more providers than patients believed the resident should get priority (58.2%, 35.1%, p<0.001). More providers than patients believed transplant programs should limit the number of transplants of non-US citizens (36.6%, 15.8%, p<0.001). Finally, more providers than patients (34.9%, 23.2%, p=0.03) believed donor families should be able to stop people who travel to the US for organ transplant from receiving their organ donation. Based on survey results, providers appear to be more averse to aspects of TOT than patients. They are less accepting of citizens from other countries traveling to the US for organ transplant, more likely to give preference to a legal resident over a non-citizen traveling to the US for organ transplant, more likely to want to limit transplants of non-US citizens, and more likely to allow donor families to prevent organ donation to a non-citizen traveling to the US for organ transplant. These differences in provider and patient attitudes may be informative when developing institutional policies related to TOT.