How payment incentives affect access to home dialysis and kidney transplant
Impact of Randomized Payment Incentives on Disparities in Home Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation
This project looks at whether changing how dialysis centers are paid helps more patients—especially Black, Hispanic, Native American, and low-income people—get home dialysis or kidney transplants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11242046 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a patient with kidney failure, this project compares dialysis centers that were randomly given extra payment incentives to those that were not. Researchers will use national Medicare and clinical data to see whether more people start home dialysis or receive kidney transplants where incentives were offered. The team will focus on whether these payment changes reduce racial and income-related gaps in who gets home dialysis or transplants. They use statistical methods designed to separate the effect of the payment policy from other factors that might influence care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are U.S. adults with kidney failure who receive care at dialysis centers affected by the CMS payment program, especially Black, Hispanic, Native American, and low-income patients.
Not a fit: Patients not treated at U.S. dialysis centers subject to the CMS program (for example, those entirely outside Medicare) or people without kidney failure are unlikely to be directly affected.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide payment policies that increase use of home dialysis and transplants and help reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in kidney failure care.
How similar studies have performed: Observational studies suggest payment incentives can raise home dialysis rates, but randomized, causal evidence on overall effects and impacts on disparities is limited.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Trivedi, Amal N. — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Trivedi, Amal N.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.