Table 3.
Individual ranking of all attributes important to patients and caregivers regarding organ allocation
| Rank | Allocation attributes | Mean priority score | % times ranked in top 10 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | Post-transplant | Waiting list | p value | All | Post-transplant | Waiting list | p value | ||
| 1 | Matching/blood type/tissue compatibility | 13.97 | 14.74 | 12.62 | 0.032 | 94% | 98% | 84% | NS |
| 2 | Time on waiting list | 11.08 | 10.91 | 11.38 | NS | 94% | 73% | 76% | NS |
| 3 | Need/Medical urgency | 11.08 | 11.83 | 9.77 | NS | 89% | 79% | 65% | NS |
| 4 | Likelihood of surviving surgery | 9.25 | 9.74 | 8.38 | NS | 78% | 65% | 56% | NS |
| 5 | Age/Life stage* | 8.19 | 7.70 | 9.08 | NS | 67% | 51% | 61% | NS |
| 6 | Other illnesses, current health and fitness | 7.50 | 8.04 | 6.54 | NS | 64% | 54% | 44% | NS |
| 7 | Duration of illness | 7.03 | 6.74 | 7.54 | NS | 58% | 45% | 50% | NS |
| 8 | Quality of life | 6.92 | 6.91 | 6.92 | NS | 53% | 46% | 46% | NS |
| 9 | Number of organs needed | 6.14 | 8.45 | 2.23 | < 0.0001 | 49% | 56% | 15% | 0.001 |
| 10 | Impact on recipients family/family circumstances/dependents | 5.75 | 5.87 | 5.54 | NS | 50% | 39% | 37% | NS |
| 11 | Years of life after transplant - life expectancy | 5.50 | 5.83 | 4.92 | NS | 36% | 39% | 33% | NS |
| 12 | Lifestyle factors (smoking drugs drinking obesity compliance) | 4.81 | 4.04 | 6.15 | NS | 31% | 27% | 41% | NS |
| 13 | Post- transplant: Support, follow-up, adherence, ability to cope | 4.33 | 4.35 | 4.31 | NS | 31% | 29% | 29% | NS |
| 14 | Whether first or subsequent transplants | 2.25 | 1.00 | 4.46 | 0.002 | 17% | 7% | 30% | NS |
| 15 | Donor vs. non donor status | 2.19 | 2.78 | 1.15 | NS | 14% | 19% | 8% | NS |
| 16 | Risk of losing graft/rejection/surgical risk | 2.00 | 2.26 | 1.54 | NS | 17% | 15% | 10% | NS |
| 17 | Contribution to community | 1.89 | 1.30 | 2.92 | NS | 6% | 9% | 19% | NS |
| 18 | Distance/geography/logistics: get to hospital on time | 1.36 | 1.13 | 1.77 | NS | 6% | 8% | 12% | NS |
| 19 | Psychological state of recipient/major psychological illness | 1.22 | 1.91 | 0.00 | 0.029 | 8% | 13% | 0% | NS |
| 20 | Likelihood of recurrent disease in new organ/cause of disease | 1.19 | 1.87 | 0.00 | 0.038 | 6% | 12% | 0% | NS |
| 21 | Religion/race | 0.53 | 0.70 | 0.23 | NS | 0% | 5% | 2% | NS |
| 22 | Sex | 0.44 | 0.52 | 0.31 | NS | 0% | 3% | 2% | NS |
| 23 | Weight | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | NS | 0% | 0% | 0% | NS |
*could be preference given to younger & children/or some say older because they can't afford to wait too long; NS, not statistically significant