COVID-19 and transplantation-Data censoring

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Science
• Epidemiology
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare systems globally.
• Organ transplant programs faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic's early stages.
• Data reporting in transplant registries is crucial for monitoring outcomes and quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the implications of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) reporting blackout period during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
• To investigate the potential for bias in transplant outcome reporting introduced by this temporary suspension.
• To assess the differential impact of the reporting blackout across various US regions.

Main Methods:

• Review of SRTR guidelines and reporting timelines during the specified period (March 12, 2020 - June 12, 2020).
• Analysis of the potential for selective reporting favoring certain regions over others.
• Examination of how varied regional COVID-19 infection waves could influence transplant outcomes and reporting.

Main Results:

• The SRTR implemented a "black out" period for transplant outcomes reporting.
• This period may have introduced bias by selectively favoring certain regions.
• Uneven effects of COVID-19 waves across the US could lead to skewed outcome data.

Conclusions:

• The SRTR reporting blackout during the early pandemic may have obscured true transplant outcomes.
• This data gap could disproportionately affect regions with different pandemic trajectories.
• Further investigation is needed to understand and correct for potential biases in transplant registry data.