AI Reveals Hidden Social Barriers in Liver Transplant Access

Getting on the waiting list for a liver transplant is not solely determined by medical urgency; it is deeply influenced by social determinants of health (SDOH)—the conditions in which people live and work. A new study has employed large language models to systematically analyse these complex factors and their impact on patient care trajectories.

The analysis revealed that social hurdles are as influential as clinical metrics. Factors such as gaps in social support, recent substance use, and mental health challenges reduced the probability of being listed for a transplant by between 5 and 14 percentage points. Crucially, these barriers are not distributed equally; social support gaps disproportionately affected females, while mental health treatment gaps were notable among Hispanic/Latino patients.

Perhaps most strikingly, the model found that psychosocial risks and SDOH explained 42.6% of the racial disparities in listing decisions for Asian patients—exceeding the explanatory power of liver health metrics themselves. By quantifying these often-overlooked circumstances, this framework highlights where priority interventions are needed, such as improved caregiver support and patient education.