Enhancing the expanded criteria donor policy as an intervention to improve kidney allocation: is it actually a 'net-zero' model?

In the United States, relatively little progress has been made in recent years to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of deceased donor kidney allocation. Despite enactment of the Expanded Criteria Donor (ECD) Policy in 2002, known inequities and suboptimal utility of donated kidneys persist. In contrast with dialysis patients with shorter predicted life expectancies, those with longer predicted lifetimes can often improve their survival by waiting longer for a Standard Criteria Donor (SCD) kidney. Yet, a substantial fraction of these candidates accept ECD kidneys, often poorly HLA matched. Meanwhile, waitlist mortality continues to rise, particularly among older transplant candidates. Despite required consent processes for candidates to list for ECD kidneys, centers appear to interpret and implement ECD policy differently—some list candidates selectively while others list nearly their entire candidate pool. To ensure more efficient and effective implementation of ECD policy across centers, we advocate for (1) more oversight and guidance in directing patients to the ECD list who stand to benefit the most from receipt of an ECD kidney; and (2) enhanced transparency of center-level ECD consent and listing practices. More uniform implementation of ECD policy could improve efficiency and effectiveness of deceased donor kidney allocation without deleteriously impacting equity.