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Patient Knowledge, Beliefs and Barriers to Hepatitis B Care: Results of a Multicenter, Multiethnic Patient Survey

Digestive Diseases and Sciences volume 66, pages 434–441 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

A greater understanding of the determinants of health behavior among those with and at-risk of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is needed for effective design and implementation of public health initiatives.

Aims

To determine factors associated with (1) willingness to accept HBV antiviral treatment and (2) satisfaction with provider communication regarding HBV care in a diverse cohort of HBV-infected patients.

Methods

Using a multifaceted model of health behavior, the Health Behavior Framework, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to HBV care.

Results

We enrolled 510 patients, with mean age 46 years; 53.1% men; and 71.6% Asian or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Patients were knowledgeable about HBV infection, but one-fifth did not think that HBV was a treatable disease; over a quarter felt it was so common among family and friends that it did not concern them, and less than half of patients believed they were likely to have liver problems or transmit HBV to others during their lifetime. Perceived susceptibility to disease risk was the only independent predictor of willingness to accept HBV treatment (β = 0.23, p = 0.0005), and contrary to expectations, having a doctor that speaks the same language was predictive of lower patient satisfaction with provider communication about their HBV care (β = − 0.65, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Patients with greater perceived susceptibility to the health consequences of HBV infection are more likely to accept treatment, and patient–provider language concordance impacts patient satisfaction with communication regarding HBV care in an unexpected direction.

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Funding

This work was in part supported by NIH Grant K24AA022523 (M.K.) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. Grant IX-US-174-0204.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, 2350 Geary Blvd., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA

    Nizar A. Mukhtar

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, 8010 Burnett-Womack Building, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Donna M. Evon

  3. Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, University of Toronto, 585 University Ave., Norman Urquhart Building, 13th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2N2, USA

    Colina Yim & Harry L. A. Janssen

  4. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 3912 Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Anna S. Lok

  5. Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 530 Parnassus Ave., Rm 363, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Nadra Lisha

  6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8124, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Mauricio Lisker-Melman

  7. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 36, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Mohamed Hassan

  8. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., Building 5, Suite 3D, Ward 3D-4, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA

    Mandana Khalili

Authors
  1. Nizar A. Mukhtar
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  2. Donna M. Evon
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  3. Colina Yim
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  4. Anna S. Lok
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  5. Nadra Lisha
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  6. Mauricio Lisker-Melman
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  7. Mohamed Hassan
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  8. Harry L. A. Janssen
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  9. Mandana Khalili
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mandana Khalili.

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Cite this article

Mukhtar, N.A., Evon, D.M., Yim, C. et al. Patient Knowledge, Beliefs and Barriers to Hepatitis B Care: Results of a Multicenter, Multiethnic Patient Survey. Dig Dis Sci 66, 434–441 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06224-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06224-3

Keywords

  • Health behavior framework
  • HBV epidemiology
  • HBV prevention
  • HBV treatment
  • HBV education