Study Reveals Racial Disparities in Organ Allocation Decisions

In a pioneering study published at the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT 2025), researchers from MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital examined the final stage of organ transplantation: the decision-making process when an organ offer is made. Using advanced computational models and transplant data from over 160,000 candidates in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (2010-2020), the study uncovered significant racial disparities in organ acceptance. Notably, Black patients faced a 7% lower likelihood of their liver offers being accepted and a striking 20% lower chance for lung offers compared to white patients with similar clinical profiles.

While these differences may not solely stem from explicit bias, the findings suggest that unmeasured clinical conditions or systemic factors could contribute to the reduced acceptance rates for Black candidates. Additionally, the data revealed that organ offers were more likely to be accepted when the donor and recipient shared the same race, raising concerns about existing disparities in organ procurement from minority groups.

The researchers emphasized the importance of considering variability across transplant centers, where different acceptance practices can influence patient outcomes. Centers with lower offer acceptance rates tend to have higher patient mortality, highlighting the urgent need for standardized decision-making protocols.

This research builds on previous efforts, such as the ORCHID dataset, which aims to analyze bias in organ procurement processes from donation organizations. Ultimately, the study advocates for more equitable transplant practices and highlights the critical role of data-driven interventions to address systemic inequities in healthcare.

The study was led by Ph.D. researcher Hammaad Adam, who stresses the importance of patience and interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing clinical AI projects aimed at reducing disparities in organ transplantation. For more insights, refer to the full publication available through the DOI: 10.1145/3715275.3732097.

Source: Medical Xpress