Multilisting Practices and Outcomes for Deceased Donor Kidney Transplants After Implementation of Distance‐Based Kidney Allocation

ABSTRACT

In the United States, kidney transplant candidates are permitted to waitlist at multiple transplant centers to improve their likelihood of transplantation. In March 2021, a distance‐based kidney allocation system (KAS250) was implemented, leading to greater geographic organ sharing that might reduce the perceived benefit of multilisting compared to the prior system (KAS). To assess whether the incidence and geographic patterns of multilisting changed after KAS250, we used national registry data to examine adult candidates added to the waitlist before and after KAS250. Among 40 048 candidates waitlisted in KAS and 48 568 in KAS250, the proportion of multilisted candidates was similar (9.5% vs. 9.3%, respectively). Multilisting conferred a greater than twofold increase in two‐year adjusted transplant incidence in both KAS and KAS250 (HR 2.02, 2.51, respectively; both p <0.001). Additionally, among multilisted candidates, those whose centers were more than 250 NM apart had a significantly higher adjusted transplant incidence than those whose centers were within 250 NM in both eras ( p <0.05). From KAS to KAS250, geographic patterns shifted modestly: cross‐DSA multilisting declined slightly ( p = 0.035), and median distance between centers increased from 92.5 to 101.6 NM ( p = 0.002), with metropolitan and small‐town residents traveling farther under KAS250 while rural residents traveled shorter distances. These results demonstrate that multilisting practices have modestly shifted after KAS250 but continue to confer a tremendous advantage regarding transplant receipt. These findings underscore the need for ongoing policy discussions on balancing candidate autonomy with allocation equity.