Patient Travel Distance and Post Lung Transplant Survival in the United States: A Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In response to a longstanding Federal mandate to minimize the role of geography in access to transplant in the United States, we assessed whether patient travel distance was associated with lung transplant outcomes. We focused on the posttransplant time period, when the majority of patient visits to a transplant center occur.

Methods

We present a cohort study of lung transplants in the United States between January 1, 2006, and May 31, 2017. Travel distance was measured from the patient's permanent home zip code to the transplant center using SAS URL access to GoogleMaps. We leveraged data from the US Census, US Department of Agriculture, and the Economic Innovations Group to assess socioeconomic status. Multivariable Cox models were used to assess graft survival.

SUBMITTER: Tsuang WM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7375912 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature