Baseline assessment of and linkage to care for newly diagnosed patients with chronic hepatitis B

Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are at risk of complications and require lifelong monitoring. We evaluated the care of newly diagnosed CHB patients. Adult CHB cases newly diagnosed in Alberta between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, were identified, with follow-up through June 1, 2014. Rates of completion of baseline investigations, receipt of antiviral therapy when indicated, and adherence to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening recommendations in a cohort of high-risk patients were compared between those who did or did not see a CHB specialist. Of 3,333 patients with CHB, 87.1% ( = 2,904) received non-specialty care. Specialty assessment was associated with higher completion of alanine aminotransferase, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), anti-HBe, and hepatitis B DNA (