[Tracing patients with chronic viral hepatitis].

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis B and C infections require ongoing medical surveillance due to improved treatment options and revised guidelines.
• Many patients diagnosed with hepatitis B or C may not receive continuous specialist care.
• Proactive communication between laboratories and general practitioners (GPs) is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a medical-microbiological laboratory-led intervention to re-engage GPs regarding patients with chronic hepatitis B or C.
• To assess the feasibility of prompting GPs to ensure patients receive necessary medical surveillance and specialist referral.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving sending letters from medical-microbiological laboratories to GPs about patients diagnosed with hepatitis B or C.
• The intervention advised GPs to confirm diagnoses and refer positive cases to hepatitis centers.
• Reminders were sent for non-responsive GPs or when the healthcare provider changed.

Main Results:

• An initial 515 letters led to a 70% response rate (362 patients) after reminders.
• Of the responding patients, 19% (69) still required referral to a hepatitis center.
• 64% of those indicated for referral (45 patients) were successfully referred.

Conclusions:

• The laboratory-alert intervention is a successful, feasible, and simple method to improve medical surveillance for chronic hepatitis B and C.
• This proactive approach can help identify and manage patients who might otherwise be lost to follow-up.
• Effective communication strategies can enhance patient outcomes in viral hepatitis management.