Developing Provider-Co-Created Prototypes Addressing Equity-Related Barriers in Liver Transplantation for
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|June 4, 2026
Summary
Provider-led interventions can improve access to liver transplantation for Black patients and those with low socioeconomic status (SES). Co-created prototypes address transplant barriers, promoting equitable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) care.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology and Transplant Surgery
- Health Equity Research
- Human-Centered Design
Background:
- Black patients and individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience significant disparities in accessing curative therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including liver transplantation.
- Patient-identified barriers and recommendations are crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Addressing systemic and patient-level barriers is essential for improving access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop provider-co-created intervention prototypes to address disparities in HCC curative therapy access.
- To respond to patient-identified barriers and recommendations through a human-centered design approach.
- To generate actionable and scalable strategies for advancing equity in HCC care.
Main Methods:
- A human-centered design session was conducted with hepatology and transplant providers.
- Providers were informed of patient-identified barriers and preliminary solutions from a prior patient co-design session.
- Structured ideation methods (brainwriting, challenge mapping, concept voting) and affinity diagramming were used to co-create intervention prototypes.
Main Results:
- Nine providers participated, focusing on transplant pre-evaluation inefficiencies, social support, and information overload.
- Three intervention prototypes were developed: a structured triage pathway, a peer navigator model, and a multimodal education roadmap.
- These prototypes address both patient- and system-level barriers to liver transplantation.
Conclusions:
- Provider-led design, informed by patient insights, can create effective strategies to improve HCC care equity.
- The developed prototypes offer actionable and scalable solutions for advancing equity in liver transplantation.
- Future research will involve refining prototypes with patient feedback and pilot testing in clinical settings.
