Patient-provider conversations and unequal access to home dialysis and kidney transplant
Official title: Patient provider communication and disparities in access to home dialysis and kidney transplantation
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11406134 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how conversations between doctors and patients affect why some Black and Hispanic people with kidney disease don’t get home dialysis or preemptive kidney transplants as often as White or Asian patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $793,874 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK142372-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406134 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with kidney disease, especially Black and Hispanic patients, who may face disparities in access to home dialysis or preemptive transplantation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not considering home dialysis or transplantation or who are not engaged in decision-making about kidney replacement options.
What this research studies
The research aims to understand how the way clinicians talk with patients about kidney replacement options influences disparities in care. It will examine provider-patient discussions and identify opportunities to improve timing of conversations and information given about home dialysis and transplantation. The study will collect and analyze real-world data on how these conversations occur and how they relate to who receives preferred therapies. If successful, the findings could inform training and system changes to support equitable access to kidney replacement options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to more equitable access to home dialysis and transplantation through better-provider communication strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials have shown limited impact; this study focuses on provider interactions, a relatively unexplored area with potential for meaningful improvement.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ku, Elaine — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Ku, Elaine
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How payment incentives affect access to home dialysis and kidney transplant
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.
-
Effects of payment incentives on access to home dialysis and kidney transplants
This study is looking at how offering financial rewards to dialysis centers and doctors can help more people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get access to home dialysis and kidney transplants when they have kidney failure.
-
Understanding challenges and supports for home dialysis and kidney transplants in young people
This study is looking at what makes it easier or harder for teens and young adults to get home dialysis and kidney transplants from living donors, so we can find ways to improve their care and help more young people get the treatment they need.
-
Strategies for HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants to increase organ donations
This project looks at making HIV-to-HIV kidney transplantation more common to help people with HIV get transplants faster by boosting organ donation and changing practice.
-
Biomarker-guided Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplant Patients
A multicenter study in kidney transplant recipients is testing whether a biomarker score from HLA-DR/DQ can guide changes in immunosuppression to reduce rejection risk and drug toxicity.
-
Helping the immune system accept a donated kidney in patients without prior sensitization
This project will try giving specially treated donor B cells alongside immune-sparing medicines to teach the immune systems of kidney transplant patients without prior antibodies to accept the new kidney.
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.