Abstract
Background and Aims
Data on usage of antiviral therapy and application of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) management guidelines in different settings are limited. Our goal is to evaluate the proportion of treatment-eligible patients by 6-month follow-up and treatment rate among eligible patients by 12-month follow-up in diverse settings.
Methods
In this retrospective cohort study, 1,976 treatment-naïve CHB patients were categorized as primary care physician (PCP) group if seen by community PCP (n = 329), gastroenterology (GI) group if seen by community gastroenterologists (n = 1,268), and hepatology group if seen by university hepatologists (n = 379). Treatment eligibility was based on the US Panel 2008 and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) 2009 guidelines.
Results
All groups had similar age, gender, and ethnic distribution. GI and hepatology groups had similar treatment eligibility rates by US Panel (53–54 %) and AASLD guidelines (24–25 %). However, treatment rate was significantly higher in hepatology compared to GI group by the US Panel guideline (59 vs. 45 %, P = 0.001). PCP group had the lowest eligibility and treatment rates by both guidelines. Common reasons for non-treatment were perceived “normal” alanine aminotransferase, desire for further observation, and patient refusal. Male gender, age >50, and subspecialty care predicted treatment initiation in treatment-eligible patients.
Conclusions
Less than half of treatment-eligible patients at primary care clinics received treatment. Community gastroenterology and university liver clinics treated about one-half to two-thirds of eligible patients. Patient and provider education should highlight treatment benefits and the new alanine aminotransferase upper limit of normal.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- AASLD:
-
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
- ALT:
-
Alanine aminotransferase
- CHB:
-
Chronic hepatitis B
- GI:
-
Gastroenterology
- HBeAg:
-
Hepatitis B e antigen
- HBV:
-
Hepatitis B virus
- HCC:
-
Hepatocellular carcinoma
- OR:
-
Odds ratio
- PCP:
-
Primary care physician
References
Hann HW, Jonsson Funk ML, Rosenberg DM, Davis R. Factors associated with response to lamivudine: retrospective study in a tertiary care clinic serving patients with chronic hepatitis B. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005;20:433–440.
Gonzalez SA, Keeffe EB. Chronic viral hepatitis: epidemiology, molecular biology, and antiviral therapy. Front Biosci. 2011;16:225–250.
Bosch FX, Ribes J, Cleries R, Diaz M. Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Liver Dis. 2005;9:191–211, v.
Lavanchy D. Hepatitis B virus epidemiology, disease burden, treatment, and current and emerging prevention and control measures. J Viral Hepatol. 2004;11:97–107.
EASL clinical practice guidelines. Management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 2012;57:167–185.
Ward JW, Byrd KK. Hepatitis B in the United States: a major health disparity affecting many foreign-born populations. Hepatology. 2012;56:419–421.
Custer B, Sullivan SD, Hazlet TK, Iloeje U, Veenstra DL, Kowdley KV. Global epidemiology of hepatitis B virus. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004;38:S158–S168.
Elgouhari HM, Abu-Rajab Tamimi TI, Carey WD. Hepatitis B virus infection: understanding its epidemiology, course, and diagnosis. Clevel Clin J Med. 2008;75:881–889.
Colvin HM, Mitchell AE, Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis Infections., Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice. National Academies Press (U.S.). Hepatitis and liver cancer: a national strategy for prevention and control of hepatitis B and C. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2010:xix.
Sorrell MF, Belongia EA, Costa J, et al. National Institutes of Health consensus development conference statement: management of hepatitis B. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:104–110.
Chen CJ, Yang HI. Natural history of chronic hepatitis B REVEALed. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011;26:628–638.
Woo G, Tomlinson G, Yim C, et al. Health state utilities and quality of life in patients with hepatitis B. Can J Gastroenterol. 2012;26:445–451.
Ayoub WS, Keeffe EB. Review article: current antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2008;28:167–177.
Marcellin P, Chang TT, Lim SG, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of adefovir dipivoxil for the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology. 2008;48:750–758.
Liaw YF, Sung JJ, Chow WC, et al. Lamivudine for patients with chronic hepatitis B and advanced liver disease. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:1521–1531.
Chen CJ, Yang HI, Su J, et al. Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma across a biological gradient of serum hepatitis B virus DNA level. JAMA. 2006;295:65–73.
Lok AS, McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B: update 2009. Hepatology. 2009;50:661–662.
Keeffe EB, Dieterich DT, Han SH, et al. A treatment algorithm for the management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the United States: 2008 update. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008;6:1315–1341; quiz 1286.
Seto WK, Lai CL, Ip PP, et al. A large population histology study showing the lack of association between ALT elevation and significant fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. PLoS One. 2012;7:e32622.
Juday T, Tang H, Harris M, Powers AZ, Kim E, Hanna GJ. Adherence to chronic hepatitis B treatment guideline recommendations for laboratory monitoring of patients who are not receiving antiviral treatment. J Gen Intern Med. 2011;26:239–244.
Zhang S, Ristau JT, Trinh HN, Garcia RT, Nguyen HA, Nguyen MH. Undertreatment of Asian chronic hepatitis B patients on the basis of standard guidelines: a community-based study. Dig Dis Sci. 2012;57:1373–1383.
Nguyen VG, Wan K, Trinh HN, et al. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment eligibility and actual treatment rates at community gastroenterology clinics and primary care clinics. Gastroenterology. 2012;142:S993.
Cohen C, Evans AA, London WT, Block J, Conti M, Block T. Underestimation of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the United States of America. J Viral Hepat. 2008;15:12–13.
Cohen C, Holmberg SD, McMahon BJ, et al. Is chronic hepatitis B being undertreated in the United States? J Viral Hepat. 2011;18:377–383.
Cotler SJ, Dhamija MK, Luc BJ, et al. The prevalence and clinical correlates of elevated ALT levels in an urban Chinatown community. J Viral Hepat. 2010;17:148–152.
Yuen MF, Yuan HJ, Wong DK, et al. Prognostic determinants for chronic hepatitis B in Asians: therapeutic implications. Gut. 2005;54:1610–1614.
Ku KC, Li J, Ha NB, Martin M, Nguyen VG, Nguyen MH. Chronic hepatitis B management based on standard guidelines in community primary care and specialty clinics. Dig Dis Sci. 2013;58:3626–3633.
Zoulim F, Perrillo R. Hepatitis B reflections on the current approach to antiviral therapy. J Hepatol. 2008;48:S2–S19.
Kallman JB, Arsalla A, Park V, et al. Screening for hepatitis B, C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a survey of community-based physicians. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2009;29:1019–1024.
Upadhyaya N, Chang R, Davis C, Conti MC, Salinas-Garcia D, Tang H. Chronic hepatitis B: perceptions in Asian American communities and diagnosis and management practices among primary care physicians. Postgrad Med. 2010;122:165–175.
Tran TT, Ocampo LH Jr. The patient, the doctor, and the system: underdiagnosis and undertreatment of hepatitis B. Hepatology. 2012;56:776–777.
Nguyen LH, Chao DT, Lim JK, Ayoub WS, Nguyen MN. Meta-analysis and systematic review of chronic hepatitis B with minimally elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT): nearly half of those with ALT 1–2× upper limit of normal have significant fibrosis. Gastroenterology. 2013;144:S972–S973.
Chao DT, Lim JK, Ayoub WS, Nguyen LH, Nguyen MH. Significant fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and only normal serum alanine transaminase levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hepatology. 2013;58:646A.
Tong MJ, Hsien C, Hsu L, Sun HE, Blatt LM. Treatment recommendations for chronic hepatitis B: an evaluation of current guidelines based on a natural history study in the United States. Hepatology. 2008;48:1070–1078.
Gordon SC, Lamerato LE, Rupp LB, et al. Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus infection and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a US population. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;12:885–893.
Acknowledgments
Lily H. Kim was supported in part by the Human Biology Program and Undergraduate Academic Life at Stanford University.
Conflict of interest
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, L.H., Nguyen, V.G., Trinh, H.N. et al. Low Treatment Rates in Patients Meeting Guideline Criteria in Diverse Practice Settings. Dig Dis Sci 59, 2091–2099 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3283-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3283-3