Many Moving Parts: New Transplant Allocation Models Are Associated With Increased Organ Travel and Potential Climate...

Area of Science:

• Transplant medicine
• Environmental science
• Public health policy

Background:

• Organ allocation policies have shifted to acuity circle (AC)-based systems.
• This transition necessitates an evaluation of its impact on logistical factors and environmental consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the changes in travel distance for organ transplantation following the implementation of acuity circle policies.
• To assess the associated environmental impacts, specifically carbon emissions, resulting from these policy changes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for deceased donor organs.
• Calculated donor-recipient hospital travel distances before and after AC policy implementation.
• Employed an interrupted time series model to determine excess travel distance and estimate carbon emissions.

Main Results:

• Analyzed travel distances for 226,731 deceased donor organs.
• Observed significant increases in total excess travel distance for lung, heart, liver, and kidney transplants.
• Estimated increases in carbon emissions per organ, varying by organ type.

Conclusions:

• Acuity circle policies have led to increased travel distances and associated carbon emissions.
• The environmental implications of organ allocation strategies must be evaluated.
• These findings are relevant for future organ distribution models, including continuous distribution systems.