Correlation Between the Transplant Evaluation Rating Scale (TERS) and Medical Outcomes in Living-Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract Background Pretransplant psychosocial evaluation of living-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) candidates identifies recipients with potentially inferior posttransplant outcomes. Rating instruments, based on semi-standardized interviews, help to improve and standardize psychosocial evaluation. The goal of this study was to retrospectively investigate the correlation between the Transplant Evaluation Rating Scale (TERS) and transplant outcome in LDKT recipients. Methods TERS scores were retrospectively generated by 2 raters based on comprehensive interviews of 146 LDKT recipients conducted by mental health professionals (interrater reliability, 0.8–0.9). All patients were eligible for transplantation according to pretransplant psychosocial evaluation. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to their TERS scores, in either two thirds excellent risk (TERS  Results There was no significant difference between the excellent ( n  = 97) and at least moderate (n = 49) risk candidates according to TERS in terms of organ function (estimated glomerular filtration rate decline >25%: 17 of 97 vs 11 of 49; P  = .51) and episodes of AR (19 of 97 vs 15 of 49; P  = .15). Patients developing de novo DSA (n = 18 [28%]) did not have higher pretransplant TERS scores (DSA positive, 11 of 42 vs 7 of 23; P  = .78). Conclusions Classifying LDKT recipients according to TERS score did not predict medical outcome at 1 year posttransplant or the occurrence of de novo DSA.