Physician bias may affect transplants

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers suggest physician bias might keep African-American and Hispanic patients from organ transplants.

Study leader Dr. Keith Melancon of Georgetown University Hospital in Washington looked at a conscious effort by the government to address racial and economic disparities -- increasing Medicare coverage for people needing a simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant.

The study, published in the American Journal of Transplantation, found of the patients already listed for transplant, African-Americans were 27 percent less likely than Caucasians to be recommended for a kidney-pancreas transplant. Hispanics were 25 percent less likely to be recommended.

"So, the situation for African-Americans and Hispanics actually got worse instead of better," Melancon said in a statement. "I don't think the medical community has been aggressive enough about kidney/pancreas transplant, especially in African-Americans who are assumed to have type 2 diabetes."

Melancon said physicians might incorrectly assume African-Americans have type 2 diabetes when in fact they would metabolically meet the criteria for type 1 diabetes.