Abstract
Aims and objectives: To determine whether a portable FibroScan ® device can be an acceptable screening tool for chronic liver disease in a community alcohol support service, through recording uptake, determining apparent prevalence of undiagnosed fibrosis/cirrhosis in participants and report engagement following referral to specialist liver services of those individuals referred because of a FibroScan ® reading ≥ 7.1 kilopascals (kPa).
Background: Alcohol-related liver disease, including cirrhosis, is a major cause of death in the UK. Liver disease is silent and usually presents late. Socially deprived patients with alcohol-related liver disease are a “hard to engage” population and at higher risk of death than less deprived. A FibroScan ® device is a non-invasive tool for measuring liver stiffness. A result of ≥7.1 kPa can indicate possible chronic liver disease.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Method: Individuals who self-identified as harmful drinkers were recruited. Consented individuals attended for a liver FibroScan ® . Those with a reading ≥7.1 kPa were referred to a nurse-led liver clinic for further investigations, results of which determined referral to a liver specialist in secondary care. Participants referred were monitored for compliance over a 6-month period.
Results: Seventy-nine consented individuals participated, an uptake of 67% of those informed of the study. Of the 79 scans performed, three were unreliable leaving 76 participants. After scanning, 20/76 (26%) had a FibroScan ® ≥7.1 kPa requiring referral on to the nurse-led clinic. All 20 (100%) engaged in further assessment. Of those, 12 required onward referral to specialist services. Subsequent compliance with specialist services in this sample (n = 12) was ≥90%. Conclusion: A nurse-led FibroScan ® outreach clinic encourages socially deprived drinkers to engage with liver services.
Relevance to clinical practice: A 67% uptake suggests a nurse-led FibroScan ® service in a community alcohol service is acceptable. High engagement gives potential for early intervention and improved health outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 650-662 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Nursing |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| Early online date | 5 Sept 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Keywords
- alcoholic
- FibroScan
- liver cirrhosis
- nursing assessment
- screening
- transient elastography
- Prospective Studies
- Liver Cirrhosis/diagnostic imaging
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Male
- United Kingdom
- Alcoholism/complications
- Adult
- Female
- Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data
- Community Health Services
- Mass Screening/methods
- Elasticity Imaging Techniques
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nursing(all)
