Didactic Education on Viral Hepatitis Elimination within Medical School Curricula in the United States

The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan documents the value of a collaborative provider workforce trained in the provision of hepatitis treatment and prevention to facilitate the United States' 2030 viral hepatitis elimination efforts.

This study aims to characterize the amount and type of viral hepatitis education topics provided to Doctor of Medicine students during the preclinical phase of medical school.

Investigators developed a 19-item Qualtrics survey and sent survey links to curricula content experts at 157 accredited medical colleges/schools in April-May 2023, and allotted 28 days for survey completion. Survey questions assessed the type, amount, and topics of viral hepatitis instruction provided to Doctor of Medicine students, and the hepatitis instructors' training/experience. We used descriptive statistics for analysis.

51 medical institutions across 22 jurisdictions responded; 90% of programs presented hepatitis education as a required part of the curriculum. All education topic respondents confirmed that their institutions provided instruction on viral hepatitis epidemiology, diagnostics, and HBV vaccination. Screening and linkage to care for HBV, HCV, and HDV were included in 69%, 78%, and 33% of curricula, respectively, while 11% of curricula discussed national efforts to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.

Survey results show similarities, variability, and gaps in topics devoted to viral hepatitis education across United States medicine curricula. Most programs required hepatitis education in their curricula, many discussed HBV and HCV screening, and few discussed hepatitis elimination. To support national viral hepatitis elimination efforts, ideally, all medical schools should provide education on (1) screening, (2) linkage to care, and (3) national elimination strategies to better equip all future physicians to work toward viral hepatitis elimination.