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A Simple Mathematical Equation Disqualified Black Patients for Kidney Transplants
At Mass General Brigham, a Boston hospital, doctors punching numbers into the computer system to calculate their patient’s kidney health would see this message:
“If patient is Black, multiply by 1.159.”
The number that doctors calculated, a single number that measured how well the kidneys filter waste, is a key factor in the kind of care patients receive. It’s also crucial for whether the patient is prioritized for kidney transplants.
This equation is used around the country, but a new study focused at Mass General found that this multiplier was responsible for downgrading the severity of 700 Black patients and kept more than 60 off the kidney transplant waitlist.
You can read more about the new Boston study here:
The origin of this “multiplier” came from a 1999 study, where researchers noticed Black patients had more of a specific type of organic waste. They assumed this was because Black people had more muscle mass, a common American racist stereotype, and implemented the multiplier, at least according to Scientific American.
