Disparities in the completion of steps to kidney transplantation: protocol for a systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Disparities in access to transplantation have been well documented. The extant literature, however, focuses largely on disparities and related barriers for African-American patients and none has used the steps to transplantation as a guiding framework. This review will catalogue disparities in the steps to transplantation as well as the barriers and facilitators to completion of each step identified in the extant literature. The results of the review will be used to generate recommendations for future research to improve equity in access to kidney transplantation.


METHODS
Standard procedures will be used in the conduct of the review. Searches will be performed using the following electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, CINHAL, EMBASE, Cochrane library and Web of Science. Reports of original research will be eligible for inclusion if they are published from 2005 to present, written or available in English language, performed in the USA, enrol adult participants (18 years of age or more), and employ descriptive or observational designs. Two authors will independently screen retrieved articles for inclusion. MaxQDA will be used for data analysis and management. All included reports will be coded for article characteristics; disparities identified; barriers and motivators of completion of steps to transplantation; and proposed solutions to disparities and barriers. Each report will be coded independently by two authors and discrepancies resolved by discussion among the full team. A qualitative approach to data analysis is planned. Risk of bias will be assessed using standard procedures.


BACKGROUND
The findings will provide crucial information on the current status of disparities in access to transplantation. PRISMA guidelines will be followed in reporting the results of the review. It is anticipated that these results will inform research which seeks to increase parity in access to transplantation.


BACKGROUND
PROSPERO CRD42014015027.
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Heather M
HM
Traino
Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Camilla W
CW
Nonterah
Tomkins-McCaw Library Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
John W
JW
Cyrus
Department of Medicine Section of Nephrology Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Avrum
A
Gillespie
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Megan
M
Urbanski
Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Michael
M
Adair-Kriz
D002985:Clinical Protocols; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic
Disparites; MEDICAL ETHICS; PUBLIC HEALTH; Systematic review