Introduction: The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) is a psychometric instrument designed to assess patient risk for transplant. We investigated the association between SIPAT scores and demographic data with psychosocial and medical outcomes within a diverse kidney/kidney-pancreas transplant population.
Design: The SIPAT was administered to all pretransplant candidates. A retrospective review of transplanted patients who had at least 6 months of follow-up was completed.
Results: The sample included 136 patients: male (n = 77 [57%]) with a mean age of 47 years old. Thirty-eight percent were black (n = 51), 55% had less than a high school education (n = 74), and 65% had low socioeconomic status (n = 89). Statistical difference was found among SIPAT scores and substance use and support system instability (P = .035, P = .012). Females (P = .012) and patients with a history of psychopathology (P = .002) developed or had a relapse of psychopathology following transplant. Patients with more than a high school education (P = .025) and who were less than 30 years (P = .026) had higher rejection incidence rates. Risk factors for rehospitalizations included Hispanic race, diabetes, and low socioeconomic status (P = .036, P = .038, P = .014). African American/Black and male patients had higher incidence of infection events (P = .032, P = .049). Mortality and treatment nonadherence were not significantly associated with SIPAT scores or demographic variables.
Conclusion: The SIPAT was associated with posttransplant substance use and support system instability, while demographic variables were associated with the development and/or relapse of psychopathology, graft loss, rejection, infection events, and medical rehospitalizations. Revision of the SIPAT to include additional demographic components may lend to improved prediction of transplant outcomes.
Keywords: kidney (allograft) function/dysfunction; recipient selection; risk assessment/risk stratification.