Kelly L Hayward1,2, Benjamin J McKillen1,2, Leigh U Horsfall1,2, Carolyn McIvor3, Katerina Liew3, Jo Sexton3, Amy L Johnson1,2, Katharine M Irvine1,4, Patricia C Valery1,5, Steven M McPhail6,7, Laurence J Britton2,8, William Rosenberg9,10, Ingrid Weate11, Sue Williams12, Elizabeth E Powell1,2. 1. Centre for Liver Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 2. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 3. Department of Gastroenterology, Logan Hospital, Logan City, Queensland, Australia. 4. Mater Research, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 5. Cancer and Chronic Disease Research Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 6. Clinical Informatics Directorate, Metro South Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 7. Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 8. Greenslopes Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 9. Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK. 10. The Royal Free London, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. 11. Jimboomba Medical Centre, Logan City, Queensland, Australia. 12. Inala Primary Care, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy to support primary care practitioners (PCP) to assess fibrosis severity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and thereby make appropriate management decisions remains unclear. AIMS: To examine the feasibility of using a two-step pathway that combined simple scores (NAFLD Fibrosis Score and Fibrosis-4 Index) with transient elastography (FibroScan) to streamline NAFLD referrals from a 'routine' primary care population to specialist hepatology management clinics (HMC). METHODS: The two-step 'Towards Collaborative Management of NAFLD' (TCM-NAFLD) fibrosis risk assessment pathway was implemented at two outer metropolitan primary healthcare practices in Brisbane. Patients aged ≥18 years with a new or established PCP-diagnosis of NAFLD were eligible for assessment. The pathway triaged patients at 'high risk' of clinically significant fibrosis to HMC for specialist review, and 'low risk' patients to receive ongoing management and longitudinal follow up in primary care. RESULTS: A total of 162 patient assessments between June 2019 and December 2020 were included. Mean age was 58.7 ± 11.7 years, 30.9% were male, 54.3% had type 2 diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, and mean body mass index was 34.2 ± 6.9 kg/m2 . A total 122 patients was considered 'low risk' for clinically significant fibrosis, two patients had incomplete assessments and 38 (23.5%) were triaged to HMC. Among 31 completed HMC assessments to date, 45.2% were considered to have clinically significant (or more advanced) fibrosis, representing 9.2% of 153 completed assessments. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the two-step TCM-NAFLD pathway streamlined hepatology referrals for NAFLD and may facilitate a more cost-effective and targeted use of specialist hepatology resources.
BACKGROUND: The optimal strategy to support primary care practitioners (PCP) to assess fibrosis severity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and thereby make appropriate management decisions remains unclear. AIMS: To examine the feasibility of using a two-step pathway that combined simple scores (NAFLD Fibrosis Score and Fibrosis-4 Index) with transient elastography (FibroScan) to streamline NAFLD referrals from a 'routine' primary care population to specialist hepatology management clinics (HMC). METHODS: The two-step 'Towards Collaborative Management of NAFLD' (TCM-NAFLD) fibrosis risk assessment pathway was implemented at two outer metropolitan primary healthcare practices in Brisbane. Patients aged ≥18 years with a new or established PCP-diagnosis of NAFLD were eligible for assessment. The pathway triaged patients at 'high risk' of clinically significant fibrosis to HMC for specialist review, and 'low risk' patients to receive ongoing management and longitudinal follow up in primary care. RESULTS: A total of 162 patient assessments between June 2019 and December 2020 were included. Mean age was 58.7 ± 11.7 years, 30.9% were male, 54.3% had type 2 diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, and mean body mass index was 34.2 ± 6.9 kg/m2 . A total 122 patients was considered 'low risk' for clinically significant fibrosis, two patients had incomplete assessments and 38 (23.5%) were triaged to HMC. Among 31 completed HMC assessments to date, 45.2% were considered to have clinically significant (or more advanced) fibrosis, representing 9.2% of 153 completed assessments. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the two-step TCM-NAFLD pathway streamlined hepatology referrals for NAFLD and may facilitate a more cost-effective and targeted use of specialist hepatology resources.
Authors: Patricia C Valery; Elizabeth E Powell; Amy L Johnson; Kelly L Hayward; Preya Patel; Leigh U Horsfall; Alvin Ee Zhiun Cheah; Katharine M Irvine; Anthony W Russell; Katherine A Stuart; Sue Williams; Gunter Hartel Journal: Hepatol Commun Date: 2021-11-15