Find Your Best Transplant Location
Fill in your health profile and click Find Best Locations to see personalized results with maps, scores, and simulation probabilities.
How Our Algorithm Works
How Our Algorithm Works
TransplantMatch uses a multi-factor algorithm that analyzes 40+ data points across 8 major categories to generate a relative location suitability score for each city. These scores reflect regional data trends and are not clinical predictions. Our scoring system is weighted based on publicly available transplant research and regional statistics.
Medical Compatibility 25%
- Blood type matching: AB+ (universal recipient) scores highest, O- (limited options) faces most challenges
- Age-based prioritization: Pediatric patients (<18) receive priority; outcomes decline after 65
- Organ size matching: Height/weight ratios critical for heart and lung transplants
- Sex considerations: Body size matching relevant for heart and lung transplants; minimal factor for other organs
- Antibody sensitivity (cPRA): Panel Reactive Antibody level affects kidney wait time; highly sensitized patients (cPRA >80%) face significantly longer waits
Wait Time & Competition 20%
- UNOS regional wait times: Varies by region (Southwest: 3.8 yrs vs Midwest: 2.1 yrs for kidneys)
- Waitlist size: Fewer competing patients = faster transplant
- Medical urgency: Status 1 (critical) patients prioritized over Status 3 (stable). Organ-specific scores (cPRA for kidney, MELD for liver, LAS for lung) replace generic urgency when provided
- Annual death rates on waitlist: Higher in regions with long waits
- Transplant volume: High-volume centers process lists faster
Donor Availability 18%
- State registration rates: Montana (82%) vs Mississippi (22%)
- Deceased donor events: Traffic fatality rates are one proxy among several for regional donor availability (only ~20-25% of modern donors come from motor vehicle accidents)
- Living donor programs: Strength of paired exchange and altruistic programs
- Population density: Larger metro areas = larger potential donor pools
- Donor demographics: Age, health status of regional population
Hospital Quality 15%
- Annual transplant volume: Volume-outcome relationship proven in research (data from SRTR program-specific reports)
- Center reputation: UPMC, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo score highest
- Organ specialization: Duke leads in lungs, Minneapolis in pancreas
- Insurance acceptance: Medicaid and uninsured patients face access barriers that vary by center
Geographic & Logistical 10%
- Cost of living: Impacts ability to afford relocation and post-transplant care
- Climate: Moderate temperatures aid recovery; extreme weather creates challenges
- Air quality: Critical for lung recipients; poor air quality in LA vs excellent in Madison
- Housing availability: Need to live near center for 3-6 months post-transplant
- Transportation access: Proximity to center for frequent follow-ups
Health Demographics 7%
- Diabetes prevalence: High rates (Miami 12.8%) damage potential donor kidneys
- Obesity rates: Affects donor organ quality and surgical outcomes
- Chronic kidney disease: Reduces kidney donor pool in affected regions
- Hypertension: Impacts heart and kidney donor quality
- Smoking rates: Tennessee (22.8%) vs California (13.5%) affects lung donors
- Note: Uses state-level CDC BRFSS data with city-level adjustments. County-level granularity (CDC PLACES) would change scores by <0.5 points given this category's 7% weight.
Policy & Legal 3%
- Donation laws: States with strong DMV-based registration and first-person consent laws score higher
- First-person consent: Some states require family cannot override donor card
- Medicaid expansion: Affects post-transplant medication coverage
- Insurance mandates: State requirements for transplant coverage
- DMV enrollment: Automatic registry at license renewal boosts donor rates
Socioeconomic 2%
- Patient housing (30%): Dedicated transplant hospitality houses, on-site temporary housing (e.g., Gift of Life Transplant House, Transplant House of Cleveland)
- Financial assistance (25%): Transplant financial counselors, charity care, fundraising support programs
- Support groups (20%): Peer mentorship, survivor support groups, transplant-specific community programs
- Caregiver resources (15%): Caregiver housing, training programs (e.g., Nebraska Medicine's cooperative care model), respite support
- Health literacy (10%): Patient education programs, multilingual services, transplant coordinator counseling
Category Weights
Example Calculation
Patient Profile: 45-year-old female, blood type A+, needs kidney, Status 2 urgency
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Medical Compatibility (A+ blood type, age 45, female):
95/100 × 25% = 23.75
Wait Time (1.8 years, Status 2):
92/100 × 20% = 18.40
Donor Availability (PA 42% registration, trauma network):
88/100 × 18% = 15.84
Hospital Quality (UPMC, 350 kidney transplants/year):
100/100 × 15% = 15.00
Geographic (affordable COL, moderate climate):
83/100 × 10% = 8.30
Health Demographics (low diabetes, moderate obesity):
85/100 × 7% = 5.95
Policy (PA strong opt-in laws):
88/100 × 3% = 2.64
Socioeconomic (good support systems):
83/100 × 2% = 1.66
TOTAL LOCATION SUITABILITY SCORE:
91.54/100