Improving the identification of priority populations to increase hepatitis B testing rates, 2012

Characterising the effectiveness of social determinants of health-focused hepatitis B interventions: a systematic review

Social determinants of health are important in designing effective interventions for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This systematic review characterises equity-oriented, social determinants of health-focused HBV interventions, and describes their effectiveness in terms of the prevention, care, or treatment of HBV in high-income countries. We searched electronic databases for central concepts of 'HBV', 'equity', 'social determinants of health', 'intervention', and 'Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries'. Screening and data abstraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Data were abstracted from 66 studies; articles with a comparative study design (n=36) were included in the narrative synthesis, highlighting social determinants of health domains of interventions, HBV-relevant health outcomes, and extra-health social determinants of health effects (ie, those effects that extend beyond health outcomes). Synthesis aligned with six emergent themes corresponding to HBV prevention and care: knowledge and education, diagnosis and screening, immunisation, care initiation, engagement with clinical care and treatment, and upstream prevention. Studies presented a heterogeneous array of HBV-relevant health outcomes. Most interventions were tailored for social determinants of health domains of race, ethnicity, culture, and language; drug use; and socioeconomic status. Across the themes, at least two-thirds of interventions showed comparative effectiveness for addressing HBV. Extra-health social determinants of health outcomes were observed for two studies. Considerable diversity in population-level approaches was observed regarding intervention goals and effectiveness; most interventions were effective at enhancing the prevention, care, or treatment of HBV.

Assessment of a primary care e-support package of automated case finding, simplified treatment algorithm and decision support to increase hepatitis B treatment uptake in primary care clinics in Australia (SIMPLY-B Study): protocol for a pilot evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Despite the availability of effective, subsidised hepatitis B treatment, linkage to care and treatment rates remain very low globally. In Australia, specially trained primary care physicians (general practitioner, GPs) can prescribe hepatitis B treatment, however, most hepatitis B care occurs in specialist clinics. Increasing hepatitis B management by GPs in primary care clinics is essential to achieve national hepatitis B linkage to care and treatment targets by 2030.This pilot study determines the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of Simply B, a novel GP hepatitis B e-support package designed to increase hepatitis B management by GPs in primary care clinics.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study will be conducted in three parts:Part A: A prospective open-label pilot intervention study, comparing the proportion of people with hepatitis B who are managed by their GP in primary care clinics before, 12 months and 24 months after implementation of the Simply B electronic hepatitis B support package.Part B: A nested qualitative health services feasibility study using semistructured interviews and thematic analysisPart C: Cost-effectiveness analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has received ethics approval by St Vincent's Hospital. Data management and analysis will be centralised through the Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05614466.

An Intersectional Approach to Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a chronic condition, primarily associated with hepatitis B viral infection in early life. The failure of prevention and appropriate management can lead to subsequent liver cirrhosis and cancer. Hepatitis B most commonly affects people born in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and their global diasporas. The physical, psychological, and social impacts of hepatitis B are strongly influenced by sex and gender. Inequities in access to timely, sensitive diagnosis and effective management arise from interactions between structural inequalities related to race, ethnicity, Indigenous/settler status, class, and geography. The biomedical response to hepatitis B has led to advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, but many affected communities have explanatory health belief models that differ from that of biomedicine. We argue that an intersectional approach, led by affected people and communities, can integrate biomedicine with the lived experience and social context that give purpose to and shape all personal, communal, clinical, and public health responses to hepatitis B. This approach has the potential to enable a consciously equitable, effective response to the biopsychosocial complexities of hepatitis B, improve the health and wellbeing of people living with hepatitis B, and reduce hepatitis B-associated mortality.

Viral hepatitis: A narrative review of hepatitis A–E

Viral hepatitis continues to be a major health concern leading to hepatic decompensation ranging from acute hepatitis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations are not only debilitating but also associated with a significant economic burden. Over the last two decades, the field of virology has made significant breakthroughs leading to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of viral hepatitis, which in turn has led to new therapeutic options. The advent of direct-acting antiviral agents changed the landscape of hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy, and new drugs are in the pipeline for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatment. There has also been a significant emphasis on screening and surveillance programs, widespread availability of vaccines, and linkage of care. Despite these efforts, significant gaps persist in care, and there is a pressing need for increased collaboration and teamwork across the globe to achieve a reduction of disease burden and elimination of HBV and HCV.

Clinical application of thioredoxin reductase as a novel biomarker in liver cancer

Hepatic cancer is often amenable to surgery, including percutaneous ablation, trans-arterial chemoembolization. However, in metastatic cases, surgery is often not an effective option. Chemotherapy as a conventional clinical method for treatment of malignant diseases may be useful in such cases, but it is likewise not always able to slow or halt progression, therefore novel approaches for treatment of hepatic cancer are needed. Current research suggests that molecular tumor markers (TM) can play a crucial role for diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of malignancies, and TM such as AFP, CEA, CA19-9 have been reported in many malignant diseases. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a type of anti-oxidant biomarker, has become a TM of significant interest. However, little is known about the above TM and TrxR activity in liver cancer. Therefore, this paper aimed to assess these TM with regards to diagnosis and and monitoring treatment efficacy in both primary and metastatic liver cancer. Our results showed TrxR had superior performance for discriminating between liver cancer patients and healthy controls than AFP, CEA, and CA19-9. TrxR also exhibited superior performance for assessing benefits of chemotherapy regardless if patients had PLC or MLC. Meanwhile, due to diagnostic efficiency of unresponsive chemotherapy patients, TrxR also showed a higher activity levels than other general markers in liver metastasis patients. Our results suggest that application of TrxR in combination with other tumor markers may maximize the efficiency of diagnosis and assessment of therapeutic efficiency, and provide new insights for the clinical application of TrxR as a candidate biomarker for liver cancer.

Definitions of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD): A Literature Review of Epidemiological Research in Australia

Objective: To identify how Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities are defined in epidemiological research in Australia and provide a definition of CALD status that aids the consistency and interpretability of epidemiological studies. Methods: Peer-reviewed literature from January 2015 to May 2020 was searched via four databases (Ovid Medline combined with PubMed, Embase, Emcare, and CINAHL) to identify quantitative studies of CALD people in Australia. Results: A total of 108 studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Country of birth was the most commonly used CALD definition (n = 33, 30.6%), with combinations of two or more components also frequently used (n = 31, 28.7%). No studies used all the components suggested as core to defining CALD status. including country of birth, languages other than English spoken at home, English proficiency, and indigenous status. Conclusions: There was considerable inconsistency in how CALD status was defined. The review suggests that CALD status would best be defined as people born in non-English speaking countries, and/or who do not speak English at home. Additionally, indigenous peoples should be considered separately. This recommended definition will support the better identification of potential health disparity and needs in CALD and indigenous communities.

What Works? Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Blood-Borne Viruses in Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia Living in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Migration is a significant risk factor for the acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). An increasing proportion of these infections in high-income countries, such as Australia, are among migrants moving from low and middle-income countries with a high prevalence of HIV, HBV and other STIs. This systematic review explored the prevention and control of HIV, HBV and other STIs in migrants (>18 years) from Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa living in high-income countries with universal health care. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO. Six academic databases were searched for articles published between 2002 and 2018. Sixteen peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria, consisting of fourteen quantitative and two qualitative studies conducted in Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Three levels of interventions were identified: individual, community and structural interventions. Most studies addressed factors at an individual level; interventions were most commonly outreach testing for HIV, HBV and other STIs. Few studies addressed structural factors or demonstrated comprehensive evaluation of interventions. Limited population-specific findings could be determined. To prevent further transmission of HIV, HBV and other STIs, comprehensive public health approaches must consider the complex interactions between migration, health care system determinants, and broader socioeconomic and sociocultural factors.

Accelerating the elimination of viral hepatitis: a Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology Commission

Viral hepatitis is a major public health threat and a leading cause of death worldwide. Annual mortality from viral hepatitis is similar to that of other major infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis. Highly effective prevention measures and treatments have made the global elimination of viral hepatitis a realistic goal, endorsed by all WHO member states. Ambitious targets call for a global reduction in hepatitis-related mortality of 65% and a 90% reduction in new infections by 2030. This Commission draws together a wide range of expertise to appraise the current global situation and to identify priorities globally, regionally, and nationally needed to accelerate progress. We identify 20 heavily burdened countries that account for over 75% of the global burden of viral hepatitis. Key recommendations include a greater focus on national progress towards elimination with support given, if necessary, through innovative financing measures to ensure elimination programmes are fully funded by 2020. In addition to further measures to improve access to vaccination and treatment, greater attention needs to be paid to access to affordable, high-quality diagnostics if testing is to reach the levels needed to achieve elimination goals. Simplified, decentralised models of care removing requirements for specialised prescribing will be required to reach those in need, together with sustained efforts to tackle stigma and discrimination. We identify key examples of the progress that has already been made in many countries throughout the world, demonstrating that sustained and coordinated efforts can be successful in achieving the WHO elimination goals.

The Role of Primary Health Care in Hepatitis B Testing and Management: A Case Study

Hepatitis B is a complex disease requiring lifelong management. Infection is linked to birth in high prevalence regions including Africa and Asia. Best practice guidelines identify who to test for hepatitis B, however, a significant proportion of Australians with hepatitis B have not been diagnosed, and are subsequently at risk of serious morbidity and mortality. This study sought to address the gap between current and optimal hepatitis B testing in a primary care clinic with a likely high population of undiagnosed hepatitis B. Between September 2015 and December 2016, four interventions aimed at enhancing general practitioner testing practices were implemented: staff education, quality improvement and patient-triggered activities. Compared to the baseline (2014) the following parameters all increased in 2016: the number of patients tested (15 tests per month in 2014, 24 tests per months in 2016), the correct ordering of the recommended tests (17% in 2014, 61% in 2016) and hepatitis B vaccine dose ordering (n = 35 in 2014, n = 110 in 2016). However, the proportion of patients born in Africa or Asia tested for hepatitis B did not increase. Distribution of a patient held-reminder led to the greatest number of tests being ordered (n = 54 tests ordered in 1 month). Within a single primary care clinic situated in a high hepatitis B prevalence area, an intervention designed to improve adherence to hepatitis B testing guidelines, increased testing levels. A systematic approach can assist general practitioners to improve their understanding of hepatitis B testing and prioritise people most at risk.

Aiming for the elimination of viral hepatitis in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands and Territories: Where are we now and barriers to meeting World Health Organization targets by 2030

Viral hepatitis affects more than 320 million people globally, leading to significant morbidity and mortality due to liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). More than 248 million people (3.2% globally) are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and an estimated 80 million people (1.1% globally) are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). In 2015, more than 700 000 deaths were directly attributable to HBV, and nearly 500 000 deaths were attributable to HCV infection; 2-5% of HBV-infected people develop HCC per annum irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, whereas 1-5% HCV-infected people with advanced fibrosis develop HCC per annum. The rapidly escalating global mortality related to HBV and HCV related viral hepatitis to be the 7th leading cause of death worldwide in 2013, from 10th leading cause in 1990. Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island Countries and Territories fall within the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, which has a high prevalence of viral hepatitis and related morbidity, particularly HBV. Remarkably, in this region, HBV-related mortality is greater than for tuberculosis, HIV infection, and malaria combined. The region provides a unique contrast in viral hepatitis prevalence, health system resources, and approaches taken to achieve World Health Organization global elimination targets for HBV and HCV infection. This review highlights the latest evidence in viral hepatitis epidemiology and explores the health resources available to combat viral hepatitis, focusing on the major challenges and critical needs to achieve elimination in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island Countries and Territories.