A new advanced artificial intelligence tool can improve how organs are allocated in kidney transplants, leading to better outcomes for patients.
An international team of renal doctors developed the software, which will help doctors make the best use of organ donation – a precious resource.
In late-stage renal failure, a kidney transplant can be a game-changer as it can improve the prospect of survival and a better quality of life.
However, there are currently 5,000 people in the UK waiting for a kidney transplant, with patients waiting an average of two to three years for a donor organ.
It means that making the best use of donated organs is vital. The Kidney Donor Risk Index (KDRI) is an existing, commonly used predictive model but has limitations when it comes to accurate predictions of patient outcomes, so better tools are urgently needed to support doctors’ decision making.
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The new tool – the UK Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Outcome Prediction (UK-DTOP) – was developed using data from almost 30,000 transplant cases over 15 years and has been described as a “game changer in kidney transplantation”.
Dr Hatem Ali, a renal specialist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, explained: “The UK-DTOP offers hope for more efficient organ allocation and improved outcomes for patients in need.
“By harnessing the power of AI and machine learning, we’ve created a more accurate and reliable decision-support system, which could lead to improved donor selection, transplant strategies, and ultimately, better outcomes for kidney transplant patients.
“As an author of this study, I am enthusiastic about the potential impacts of the UK-DTOP tool on kidney transplantation. This AI-enabled model enhances our predictive capabilities and helps refine our approach to donor-recipient matching.
“By improving how we allocate organs, we can ensure better outcomes for transplant recipients. It is my hope that this tool will be embraced globally, leading to significant advancements in patient care and the efficient use of critical health resources.”
The team, made up of experts from hospitals across the US and UK, tested how well three different AI tools performed in predicting patient outcomes, by using data from almost 30,000 transplant cases recorded in the UK.
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The UK-DTOP came out top, with a predictive power of 0.74, compared to 0.57 for KDRI and 0.62 for the UK-KDRI.
Co-author Dr Miklos Molnar, from the University of Utah, said: “The UK-DTOP is a versatile tool for assessing deceased donor kidney transplantation outcomes. It refines pre-transplant decision-making while recognising that the final decision to accept an organ rests with the recipient and their risk tolerance.
“Our findings advocate for a shift toward the adoption of advanced, data-driven tools across health care systems worldwide, potentially revolutionising donor-recipient matching and organ allocation, improving transplant success rates and saving lives.”
Read more in Renal Failure.
