Financial Feasibility Analysis of a Culturally and Linguistically Competent Hispanic Kidney Transplant Program

Abstract

Background: In 2006, Northwestern Medicine implemented a culturally targeted and linguistically congruent Hispanic Kidney Transplant Program (HKTP). The HKTP has been associated with a reduction in Hispanic/Latino disparities in live donor kidney transplantation. This article assessed the financial feasibility of implementing the HKTP intervention at 2 other transplant centers.

Methods: We examined the impact of the HKTP on staffing costs compared with the total transplant center costs using data from monthly time studies conducted among transplant staff involved in the HKTP. Time studies were conducted during the HKTP preimplementation (2016) and implementation (2017) phases. Labor costs were estimated using data from the time studies and mean salaries from the Department of Labor. We retrospectively examined kidney acquisition and transplant costs at both centers in 2016 and 2017 using data from the Medicare cost reports.

Results: During preimplementation, center A staff (n = 21) committed 764 hours ($44 607), and center B staff (n = 15) committed 800 hours ($45 193) to establish the HKTP. During implementation, center A staff (n = 19) committed 1125 hours ($55 594), and center B staff (n = 24) committed 1396 hours ($64 170), in delivering the HKTP. Overall, the total costs from the staffing time involved in the HKTP encompassed <1.0% per year (2016 and 2017) of each center's annual total costs.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest the financial feasibility of implementing the HKTP and present a potential business case for the HKTP's implementation at other transplant centers to reduce health disparities in live donor kidney transplantation.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

FIGURE 1.

Framework for the financial feasibility analysis. HKTP, Hispanic Kidney Transplant Program; NM, Northwestern Medicine.