Coding Error in Study of Risk Score Predicting Death Without Transplant in Adult Heart Transplant Candidates

To the Editor On behalf of our coauthors, we write to explain errors that we identified in the Original Investigation “Development and Validation of a Risk Score Predicting Death Without Transplant in Adult Heart Transplant Candidates,” published February 13, 2024, in JAMA. Our registry-based study examined 16 905 heart transplant candidates listed from 2019-2022 using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We proposed a novel US candidate risk score (US-CRS) for medical urgency, inspired by the allocation system used in France, that performed better than both the current 6-status system used in the US and the French model. The US-CRS is a logistic regression model that includes short-term mechanical circulatory support; values for bilirubin, estimated glomerular filtration rate, B-type natriuretic peptide, albumin, and sodium; and use of durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).