Predicting and reducing donor drop-out among racial/ethnic minority kidney donors
Official title: Transforming Curiosity into Donation: Validating a Risk Prediction Index to Detect and Prevent Drop-Out in Potential Living Kidney Donors who are Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Funded at Methodist Hospital Research Institute · NIH-11383472 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to help people from minority backgrounds who are considering living kidney donation understand and reduce the risk of dropping out during donor screening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $239,255 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK137111-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11383472 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults from racial/ethnic minority groups considering living kidney donation who begin the donor evaluation process.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not pursuing or considering living donation or those who are not in the donor evaluation pathway.
What this research studies
This project analyzes donor screening data to find early signs that someone might stop the donation process. It will create a risk index (LD-DROP) to identify individuals at higher risk of dropping out so centers can provide targeted support. The work uses existing donor databases to understand barriers and tailor outreach, aiming to improve access to living donor kidney transplantation for those with greater financial and healthcare challenges. The study involves secondary analyses of data and collaboration across regional and national donor programs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the index could help transplant programs support more potential donors to complete evaluation and increase access to living-donor kidney transplants.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows that risk prediction in donor evaluation is feasible and can guide targeted interventions, though this exact LD-DROP index is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Waterman, Amy Doggette — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Waterman, Amy Doggette
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.