Low Prevalence of Use of Allied Health and Community Services for Patients with Cirrhosis in Australia: A Need for Greater Engagement

Elizabeth E Powell,1,2 Katherine A Stuart,1 Simon Finnigan,3 Jan Hinson,4 Christina M Bernardes,5 Gunter Hartel,6 Patricia C Valery2,5 1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia; 2Centre for Liver Disease Research, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia; 3Community and Oral Health, Metro North Health, Chermside, Queensland, Australia; 4Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Banyo, Queensland, Australia; 5Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia; 6Statistics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, AustraliaCorrespondence: Patricia C Valery, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Queensland, 4006, Australia, Tel +61 07 3362 0376, Email Patricia.Valery@qimrberghofer.edu.auBackground: Psychosocial, lifestyle and practical needs are not routinely attended to during outpatient hepatology management, and little is known about the type and effectiveness of support services accessed by patients with cirrhosis. We quantified the type and use of community and allied health services in patients with cirrhosis.Methods: The study included 562 Australian adults with a diagnosis of cirrhosis. Health service use was assessed via questionnaire and via linkage to the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule. Patient needs were assessed using the Supportive Needs Assessment tool for Cirrhosis (SNAC).Results: Although most patients (85.9%) used at least one community/allied health service for support with their liver disease, many reported requiring additional help with psychosocial (67.4%), lifestyle (34.3%) or practical needs (21.9%) that were not met by available services, or patients did not access services. A multidisciplinary care plan or case conference (in the 12 months prior to recruitment) was access