October 15, 2024 – IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) of the Ohio River Valley (Network 9) received the American Association of Kidney Patients’ (AAKP) 2024 Dominick Gentile, MD Memorial Award in recognition of its Kidney Transplant Compare Application. AAKP is the oldest and largest kidney patient organization in the US. The annual award recognizes an ESRD Network that has developed or maintained a program which has significantly benefited patients. It was presented during AAKP’s Awards Banquet in September.
Kidney Transplant Compare is the first application of its kind, specifically designed to empower kidney patients by providing critical information to aid in their transplant journey.
It is a mobile application that works on Apple and Android devices; a desktop computer version is also available. As of August 2024, Kidney Transplant Compare has been used on more than 2,000 computers more than 16,000 times and downloaded on over 654 mobile devices.
The app gives kidney patients access to educational resources about kidney transplantation and provides comparisons of transplant centers, allowing patients to select a center that best meets their needs. Users can filter, search, and select transplant centers by location, medical selection criteria, outcomes, and support services. Once users identify centers to compare, they can select a side-by-side view of the features of each transplant center’s program. The app also includes other patient support features, such as definitions of medical terms, to support health literacy.
“Kidney Transplant Compare began as a project to improve patient access to information, empowering them to make autonomous decisions about their care,” said Caroline Sanner, Transplant Lead, Assistant Director, IPRO ESRD Network Program. “Over time, it became much more – a tool to ensure that every patient has the ability to take control of their transplant journey and achieve better outcomes.”
Kidney Transplant Compare was developed with direct input from kidney patients. The IPRO ESRD Network sought input from the Chronic Kidney Disease Champions patient advocacy group, ensuring that the 131 data points included in the application reflect information that is most important to patients.
“The award selection committee was extremely impressed with the thoughtful development of the Kidney Transplant Compare Program application which supports an individual’s journey to transplantation and has already made substantial contributions to patients’ ability to identify a transplant center that is right for them,” said Diana Clynes, AAKP’s executive director.
