Degree
Master of Science
Program
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Supervisor
Dr. Amit Garg
Abstract
This prospective cohort study across 12 Canadian transplant centres evaluated the costs incurred by 912 living kidney donors. Expenses and resources were captured to 3-months post-donation, and micro-costing was used to appraise the costs incurred by donors. Living kidney donors incurred average total costs of $4790, and direct and indirect costs of $2110 and $2679, respectively. 13.3% of donors incurred total costs exceeding $10,000, and 8.6% of donors incurred costs >25% of their annual household income. Costs incurred by spousal donors were not significantly different from either unrelated or closely related donors. Similarly, costs incurred by kidney paired donors were not significantly different from other donors. In multivariable analyses, living >100 km from the transplant evaluation centre and being employed were associated with higher total costs. In conclusion, many living kidney donors incur substantial costs associated with donation, and our findings can be used to improve the donation experience.
Recommended Citation
Przech, Sebastian, "Financial Costs Incurred by Living Kidney Donors: Findings from a Canadian Multi-centre Prospective Cohort Study" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5121.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5121