A new service is making it easier for primary care and community health professionals to monitor, treat and manage patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B.
Launched this year as a joint initiative between the Department of Health and Royal Perth Hospital (RPH), general practitioners and nurse practitioners can now access direct clinical support, education and the latest advice when managing patients living with hepatitis B.
This includes access to a free mobile liver-scan via outreach clinics in metropolitan general practices and health services, alongside an email service providing clinical advice statewide known as the Hep B Hub WA.
Hepatology nurse practitioner Adam Gregson from the RPH Liver Service is leading this new service.
He runs outpatient clinics to diagnose and manage acute and chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis and complications of liver disease.
“As part of the service, I work directly with local GPs and nurse practitioners to help them confidently manage their patients within their own practice setting, including using our mobile Fibroscans (to measure a patient’s liver fibrosis and fat levels) to help identify cirrhosis and the risk of decompensation and clinically significant portal hypertension,” he said.
“This ensures the patient receives the most appropriate treatment in the most appropriate setting and is monitored to prevent deterioration.”
The statewide hepatitis B email clinical advice service is monitored Monday to Friday with a two-business day response time. Advice is either provided in person, by email, or by phone or video call.
“Enquiries to this service can range from simple hepatitis B related questions to patient-specific or complex clinical scenarios,” Mr Gregson added.
“I have direct access to, and collaborate with, our RPH hepatologists to ensure we can provide timely and evidence-based support for even the most challenging and complicated hepatitis B cases.”
He said the new service empowered health practitioners to confidently manage hepatitis B cases in their own practices and possibly without the need to refer to a tertiary specialist centre.
“The outreach clinics provide a complete clinical picture to ensure patients get the most appropriate care with onward referral if needed,” he said.
Those in the Perth metropolitan area interested in establishing an outreach clinic at their practice or health service can contact adam.gregson@health.wa.gov.au for further information.
Want more news, clinicals, features and guest columns delivered straight to you? Subscribe for free to WA’s only independent magazine for medical practitioners.
Want to submit an article? Email editor@mforum.com.au