TY - JOUR
T1 - Health services and policy research in hepatology
AU - Talwalkar, Jayant A.
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - Purpose of Review This article examines recent health services and policy research studies in hepatology and liver transplantation. Recent Findings Critical issues include access to medical care, timeliness of referral and consultation, resource utilization in clinical practice, comparative effectiveness research, and the evaluation of care delivery models. Despite policymaking efforts, there continues to be unwarranted variation in access to subspecialty care and liver transplantation services based on race and geographic location. Variations in primary care and specialist awareness of practice guidelines for liver disease contribute to disparities in appropriateness and timeliness of treatments. Defining the cost-effectiveness of increased resource utilization for novel antiviral therapies and liver transplantation continues to stimulate controversy. Few comparative effectiveness studies in hepatology exist to date, yet a growing number of analyses using national datasets will help inform policy in this arena. Identifying care delivery models that demonstrate high value for populations with chronic liver disease is critical in the context of recent healthcare reform efforts. Summary: Health services and policy research is a growing field of investigation in hepatology and liver transplantation. Further emphasis on research training and workforce development in this area will be critical for understanding and improving patient-centered outcomes for this population.
AB - Purpose of Review This article examines recent health services and policy research studies in hepatology and liver transplantation. Recent Findings Critical issues include access to medical care, timeliness of referral and consultation, resource utilization in clinical practice, comparative effectiveness research, and the evaluation of care delivery models. Despite policymaking efforts, there continues to be unwarranted variation in access to subspecialty care and liver transplantation services based on race and geographic location. Variations in primary care and specialist awareness of practice guidelines for liver disease contribute to disparities in appropriateness and timeliness of treatments. Defining the cost-effectiveness of increased resource utilization for novel antiviral therapies and liver transplantation continues to stimulate controversy. Few comparative effectiveness studies in hepatology exist to date, yet a growing number of analyses using national datasets will help inform policy in this arena. Identifying care delivery models that demonstrate high value for populations with chronic liver disease is critical in the context of recent healthcare reform efforts. Summary: Health services and policy research is a growing field of investigation in hepatology and liver transplantation. Further emphasis on research training and workforce development in this area will be critical for understanding and improving patient-centered outcomes for this population.
KW - health services research
KW - hepatology
KW - policy
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U2 - 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000064
DO - 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000064
M3 - Review article
C2 - 24662844
AN - SCOPUS:84898546768
SN - 0267-1379
VL - 30
SP - 272
EP - 278
JO - Current Opinion in Gastroenterology
JF - Current Opinion in Gastroenterology
IS - 3
ER -