NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway

Description

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a new condition that has become the most common chronic liver disease in the world and a main cause of liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Obesity and diabetes, conditions that are very common among Veterans are the main risk factors for NAFLD. Therefore, the burden of NAFLD and its complications among Veterans is substantial. However, most VA patients with NAFLD are undiagnosed and untreated, and their care is not consistent with practice guidelines. The NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway (NCCP) intervention seeks to close this major gap in the care of Veterans by automatically identifying patients at risk of NAFLD, calculating their risk scores of having severe NAFLD, and educating the primary care providers on the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD. This clinical trial will test the benefit of this NCCP intervention against usual care in increasing the rates of NAFLD diagnosis as well as referral to and enrollment in appropriate treatment. The study will also identify barriers and promotors of future NCCP implementation.

Conditions

NAFLD, MASLD

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a new condition that has become the most common chronic liver disease in the world and a main cause of liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Obesity and diabetes, conditions that are very common among Veterans are the main risk factors for NAFLD. Therefore, the burden of NAFLD and its complications among Veterans is substantial. However, most VA patients with NAFLD are undiagnosed and untreated, and their care is not consistent with practice guidelines. The NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway (NCCP) intervention seeks to close this major gap in the care of Veterans by automatically identifying patients at risk of NAFLD, calculating their risk scores of having severe NAFLD, and educating the primary care providers on the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD. This clinical trial will test the benefit of this NCCP intervention against usual care in increasing the rates of NAFLD diagnosis as well as referral to and enrollment in appropriate treatment. The study will also identify barriers and promotors of future NCCP implementation.

Testing the Effectiveness of NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway in VA Primary Care

NAFLD Clinical Care Pathway

Condition
NAFLD
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Houston

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, Houston, Texas, United States, 77030-4211

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * The investigators will exclude PACTs with unstable leadership (i.e., pending departure, vacancy) at time of randomization.
  • * PACTs participating in the focus groups in Aim 1 will be excluded in Aim 2 to avoid cross contamination.
  • * PACTs meeting the following criteria will be excluded from randomization in Aim 2:
  • * PACTs who do not treat NAFLD,
  • * PACTs not located at the main hospital,
  • * PACTs with less than 100 visits within 3 months.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Hashem B. El-Serag, MD MPH, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

Study Record Dates

2028-11-13