Ufere, Nneka N.Serper, MarinaKaplan, AlysonHorick, NoraIndriolo, TeresaLi, LucindaSatapathy, NishantDonlan, JohnCastano Jimenez, Janeth C.Lago-Hernandez, CarlosLieber, SarahGonzalez, CarolinaKeegan, EileenSchoener, KimberlyBethea, EmilyDageforde, Leigh-AnneYeh, HeidiEl-Jawahri, AreejPark, Elyse R.Vodkin, IrineSchonfeld, EmilyNipp, RyanDesai, ArchitaLai, Jennifer C.2024-10-302024-10-302024Ufere NN, Serper M, Kaplan A, et al. Financial burden following adult liver transplantation is common and associated with adverse recipient outcomes. Liver Transpl. 2024;30(9):918-931. doi:10.1097/LVT.0000000000000348https://hdl.handle.net/1805/44369The financial impact of liver transplantation has been underexplored. We aimed to identify associations between high financial burden (≥10% annual income spent on out-of-pocket medical costs) and work productivity, financial distress (coping behaviors in response to the financial burden), and financial toxicity (health-related quality of life, HRQOL) among adult recipients of liver transplant. Between June 2021 and May 2022, we surveyed 207 adult recipients of liver transplant across 5 US transplant centers. Financial burden and distress were measured by 25 items adapted from national surveys of cancer survivors. Participants also completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment and EQ-5D-5L HRQOL questionnaires. In total, 23% of recipients reported high financial burden which was significantly associated with higher daily activity impairment (32.9% vs. 23.3%, p =0.048). In adjusted analyses, the high financial burden was significantly and independently associated with delayed or foregone medical care (adjusted odds ratio, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.85-8.42) and being unable to afford basic necessities (adjusted odds ratio, 5.12; 95% CI: 1.61-16.37). Recipients experiencing high financial burden had significantly lower self-reported HRQOL as measured by the EQ-5D-5L compared to recipients with low financial burden (67.8 vs. 76.1, p =0.008) and an age-matched and sex-matched US general population (67.8 vs. 79.1, p <0.001). In this multicenter cohort study, nearly 1 in 4 adult recipients of liver transplant experienced a high financial burden, which was significantly associated with delayed or foregone medical care and lower self-reported HRQOL. These findings underscore the need to evaluate and address the financial burden in this population before and after transplantation.en-USPublisher PolicyEnd stage liver diseaseFinancial stressLiver transplantationCost of illnessArticle