Doctors Need Management-Skills Upgrade On Hepatitis C

[Guest guest]

Doctors Need Management-Skills Upgrade On Hepatitis C

A DG review of: " Management of hepatitis C patients by

primary care physicians in the USA: results of a

national survey " - Journal of Viral Hepatitis

By Anne MacLennan

Patients with hepatitis C may be being under-diagnosed

and under-referred.

Specific educational initiatives and practice

guidelines for primary care doctors are critical to

optimize recognition of patients at risk for this

disease and, furthermore, to ensure appropriate

testing and referral.

These are the views of investigators from the Division

of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine,

and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan

Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

Although hepatitis C is a major health problem

worldwide, little research has been done to assess the

knowledge base and practice patterns of primary care

doctors on the disease.

These researchers surveyed a nationwide cohort of

primary care doctors in the US to determine their

knowledge base and practice patterns.

The survey was developed specifically to assess

doctors' knowledge of risk factors for hepatitis C,

management of hepatitis C patients and attitudes

regarding testing for the disease.

Of 4,000 primary care doctors to whom it was mailed, a

total of 1,412 (39 percent) of doctors completed the

survey.

More than 90 percent of respondents correctly

identified the most common risk factor for hepatitis

C.

However, only 59 percent indicated they ask all

patients about hepatitis C risk factors.

Seventy percent said they test all patients with risk

factors, and 78 percent test all patients with

elevated liver enzymes for hepatitis C.

Although most doctors (72 percent) would refer to a

specialist any patient who is positive for the

hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who has elevated

aminotransferase levels, only 28 percent would refer

an HCV-positive patient with normal aminotransferase

levels.

Overall, about one-fourth of doctors did not know what

treatment they would recommend for hepatitis C

patients.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Doctors Need Management-Skills Upgrade On Hepatitis C

A DG review of: " Management of hepatitis C patients by

primary care physicians in the USA: results of a

national survey " - Journal of Viral Hepatitis

By Anne MacLennan

Patients with hepatitis C may be being under-diagnosed

and under-referred.

Specific educational initiatives and practice

guidelines for primary care doctors are critical to

optimize recognition of patients at risk for this

disease and, furthermore, to ensure appropriate

testing and referral.

These are the views of investigators from the Division

of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine,

and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan

Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

Although hepatitis C is a major health problem

worldwide, little research has been done to assess the

knowledge base and practice patterns of primary care

doctors on the disease.

These researchers surveyed a nationwide cohort of

primary care doctors in the US to determine their

knowledge base and practice patterns.

The survey was developed specifically to assess

doctors' knowledge of risk factors for hepatitis C,

management of hepatitis C patients and attitudes

regarding testing for the disease.

Of 4,000 primary care doctors to whom it was mailed, a

total of 1,412 (39 percent) of doctors completed the

survey.

More than 90 percent of respondents correctly

identified the most common risk factor for hepatitis

C.

However, only 59 percent indicated they ask all

patients about hepatitis C risk factors.

Seventy percent said they test all patients with risk

factors, and 78 percent test all patients with

elevated liver enzymes for hepatitis C.

Although most doctors (72 percent) would refer to a

specialist any patient who is positive for the

hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who has elevated

aminotransferase levels, only 28 percent would refer

an HCV-positive patient with normal aminotransferase

levels.

Overall, about one-fourth of doctors did not know what

treatment they would recommend for hepatitis C

patients.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Doctors Need Management-Skills Upgrade On Hepatitis C

A DG review of: " Management of hepatitis C patients by

primary care physicians in the USA: results of a

national survey " - Journal of Viral Hepatitis

By Anne MacLennan

Patients with hepatitis C may be being under-diagnosed

and under-referred.

Specific educational initiatives and practice

guidelines for primary care doctors are critical to

optimize recognition of patients at risk for this

disease and, furthermore, to ensure appropriate

testing and referral.

These are the views of investigators from the Division

of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine,

and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan

Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

Although hepatitis C is a major health problem

worldwide, little research has been done to assess the

knowledge base and practice patterns of primary care

doctors on the disease.

These researchers surveyed a nationwide cohort of

primary care doctors in the US to determine their

knowledge base and practice patterns.

The survey was developed specifically to assess

doctors' knowledge of risk factors for hepatitis C,

management of hepatitis C patients and attitudes

regarding testing for the disease.

Of 4,000 primary care doctors to whom it was mailed, a

total of 1,412 (39 percent) of doctors completed the

survey.

More than 90 percent of respondents correctly

identified the most common risk factor for hepatitis

C.

However, only 59 percent indicated they ask all

patients about hepatitis C risk factors.

Seventy percent said they test all patients with risk

factors, and 78 percent test all patients with

elevated liver enzymes for hepatitis C.

Although most doctors (72 percent) would refer to a

specialist any patient who is positive for the

hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who has elevated

aminotransferase levels, only 28 percent would refer

an HCV-positive patient with normal aminotransferase

levels.

Overall, about one-fourth of doctors did not know what

treatment they would recommend for hepatitis C

patients.

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Doctors Need Management-Skills Upgrade On Hepatitis C

A DG review of: " Management of hepatitis C patients by

primary care physicians in the USA: results of a

national survey " - Journal of Viral Hepatitis

By Anne MacLennan

Patients with hepatitis C may be being under-diagnosed

and under-referred.

Specific educational initiatives and practice

guidelines for primary care doctors are critical to

optimize recognition of patients at risk for this

disease and, furthermore, to ensure appropriate

testing and referral.

These are the views of investigators from the Division

of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine,

and the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan

Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.

Although hepatitis C is a major health problem

worldwide, little research has been done to assess the

knowledge base and practice patterns of primary care

doctors on the disease.

These researchers surveyed a nationwide cohort of

primary care doctors in the US to determine their

knowledge base and practice patterns.

The survey was developed specifically to assess

doctors' knowledge of risk factors for hepatitis C,

management of hepatitis C patients and attitudes

regarding testing for the disease.

Of 4,000 primary care doctors to whom it was mailed, a

total of 1,412 (39 percent) of doctors completed the

survey.

More than 90 percent of respondents correctly

identified the most common risk factor for hepatitis

C.

However, only 59 percent indicated they ask all

patients about hepatitis C risk factors.

Seventy percent said they test all patients with risk

factors, and 78 percent test all patients with

elevated liver enzymes for hepatitis C.

Although most doctors (72 percent) would refer to a

specialist any patient who is positive for the

hepatitis C virus (HCV) and who has elevated

aminotransferase levels, only 28 percent would refer

an HCV-positive patient with normal aminotransferase

levels.

Overall, about one-fourth of doctors did not know what

treatment they would recommend for hepatitis C

patients.

__________________________________________________