Urban and Rural Disparities in Access to Heart and Lung Transplantation

Area of Science:

• Transplantation research
• Health services research
• Geographic health disparities

Background:

• Access to heart and lung transplantation varies significantly between urban and rural areas in the United States.
• Geographic location and socioeconomic factors are critical determinants of healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate disparities in access to heart and lung transplantation.
• To assess the impact of urban versus rural settings on transplant center accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the United Network for Organ Sharing database for transplant center identification.
• Calculated travel times from transplant centers to census tracts using ArcGIS.
• Incorporated demographic data and distressed community index scores in regression analyses.

Main Results:

• A higher percentage of the rural population (57%) lives more than 60 minutes from a transplant center compared to the urban population (28%).
• Increased community distress scores correlated with longer travel times to transplant centers.
• Individuals traveling over 240 minutes were more likely to be rural, from distressed communities, and have higher uninsured rates.

Conclusions:

• Community distress is linked to reduced access to heart and lung transplantation for both urban and rural populations.
• Geographical disparities disproportionately affect rural residents, necessitating targeted interventions.