Meet the Equation

Clinical algorithms, such as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) test, have historically integrated race as a biological variable, leading to systemic medical disparities. By artificially inflating kidney function scores for Black patients based on outdated, flawed assumptions about muscle mass, these tools frequently delayed or denied access to life-saving organ transplants. Esther Daly’s experience highlights the real-world consequences of this bias, as her condition remained mismanaged until she independently sought a recalculation of her scores. Driven by medical students and practitioners who challenged the scientific validity of race-based corrections, institutions have begun adopting race-neutral diagnostic methods. This shift marks a critical move toward dismantling systemic racism in medicine, though many other race-corrected diagnostic tools continue to influence patient care and require urgent re-evaluation to ensure equitable treatment outcomes.