The Financial Concerns of Non-Directed (Altruistic) Living Kidney Donors – How Can We Improve the Donation Process?
1Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2Nephrology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 3Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, 4Office of the Dean, University of Kansas Medical Center School of Nursing, Kansas City, KS
Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: LB-004
Keywords: Donors, unrelated, Economics, Employment, Public policy
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session A: Late Breaking
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: The recent increase in non-directed (altruistic) kidney donors (NDDs) in the United States (U.S.) suggests their potential to help reduce the overburdened kidney transplant waitlist. By donating to a stranger in need, NDDs resolve incompatibility issues between predetermined donor-recipient pairs. However, non-directed donation in the U.S. may be limiting its full potential, as the out-of-pocket donation costs can climb upwards to $8,000 and may discourage potential NDDs who lack the financial stability needed to support themselves during the donation process.
*Methods: We interviewed 31 NDD participants in this qualitative-dominant study and administered demographic surveys between April 2013-April 2015. We carried out content analysis to create and define categories relating to the NDD donation experience, and code interview transcripts.
*Results: We found that 20 participants expressed concerns about the direct and indirect financial costs related to the donation process. While 7 donors received financial support from personal income, state law, and transplant programs, 11 NDDs emphasized that the direct costs related to transportation, lodging, and parking negatively impacted their donation experience. In addition, 15 NDDs reported concerns about the indirect costs they faced, such as lost wages from taking time off work to recover post-donation.
*Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a financially neutral donation process is needed to improve the NDD donation experience. Transplant hospitals and centers may help alleviate the financial concerns of NDDs by offering complimentary or low-cost hospitality housing, transportation and parking options during the pre-donation evaluation, surgery, and post-donation recovery period. In the workplace, employees may be provided with an allocated paid leave of absence, independent of existing vacation or sick leave to help ease concerns related to having to take time off during the donation and recovery period. Removing financial disincentives may help increase non-directed donation completion rates for potential donors who lack adequate financial support, despite their altruistic tendencies, thereby further reducing the kidney transplant waiting list.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Maghen A, Mendoza G, Vargas GB, Connor SE, Nassiri S, Kwan L, Wood EL, Lalezari J, Friedman S, Waterman AD, George S, Maliski SL, Veale JL. The Financial Concerns of Non-Directed (Altruistic) Living Kidney Donors – How Can We Improve the Donation Process? [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/the-financial-concerns-of-non-directed-altruistic-living-kidney-donors-how-can-we-improve-the-donation-process/. Accessed May 11, 2025.« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress