The effects of demographic, psychosocial, and socioeconomic characteristics on access to heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device.

Background: This study aims to better understand how demographic, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors influence the selection of patients for advanced therapies for heart failure (heart transplant and left ventricular assist device (LVAD)). Methods: Patients evaluated for heart transplant or LVAD at a large, Midwestern hospital system were assessed retrospectively. Three outcomes were analyzed: 1) Patients who were evaluated and approved to receive a transplant or LVAD were compared to patients who were not approved for transplant or LVAD; 2) Patients who were listed for transplant were compared to patients not listed; and 3) Patients who received a transplant or LVAD were compared to patients who did not receive a transplant or LVAD. ANOVA was used for continuous variables and Chi-squared test for categorical variables. Significant variables were further analyzed by logistic regression. Results: Four hundred fifty-nine patients were included. Marital status (p = 0.004), race (p = 0.008), social support (p < 0.001), mental health (p = 0.006), and substance use (p < 0.001) were associated with whether patients were approved for transplant or LVAD. Patients with public insurance were half as likely (OR 0.495) to be listed for transplant once approved. Conclusions: Financial, psychosocial, and demographic characteristics all play a role in selection for advanced therapies for heart failure. These insights can help guide future work on interventions to address the social disparities in access to heart transplant and LVAD.