More Timely Care for Chronic Liver Disease is Coming, Step-by-Step, says Hepatologist Bruce Luxon, MD, PhD

Reducing stigma associated with chronic liver disease and expediting diagnosis and referral will take some time but progress is being made, Luxon says.

"We have very comprehensive [liver disease] guidelines and guidance statements. But they're all 30 to 40 pages," said transplant hepatologist Bruce Luxon, MD, PhD. "Unfortunately...we have not translated them into simplified rules."

Luxon, professor of medicine and Anton and Margaret Fuisz chair in medicine at Georgetown University, in Washington DC, talked with Patient Care® about improving and streamlining the flow of complex information from specialty to primary and emergency care clinicians so that they can make more nuanced assessments earlier in the presentation of chronic liver disease and ensure linkage to appropriate care.

Bruce A Luxon, MD, PhD, is professor of medicine, Anton and Margaret Fuisz chair in medicine, at Georgetown University and chairperson of medicine and chief physician at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington, DC.