Jazmin Evans’ journey with kidney disease highlights a significant shift in the U.S. transplant system. For years, an outdated medical test used race as a factor, potentially disadvantaging Black patients. In 2023, race was removed from the algorithm, resulting in thousands of Black candidates moving up the waitlist.
Evans, diagnosed with kidney disease in 2012, was shocked when she received notice of her movement up the list. The change came after a national task force reassessed the role of race in kidney-related illnesses and recommended its elimination.
The inclusion of race in the previous evaluations was based on outdated assumptions and contributed to health inequities. Experts now recognize that race is a social construct and should not be used in medical tests or algorithms.
This change is not isolated to kidney transplant waitlists. Racial biases also exist in calculations for the kidney donor profile index. A new mandate is in the works to eliminate race bias in kidney donor allocations.
The elimination of race bias in medical care is a step towards addressing historical inequities. Experts hope that the changes will bring more equity to the organ donation and transplantation processes.
