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Assessment of a primary care e-support package of automated case finding, simplified treatment algorithm and decision support to increase hepatitis B treatment uptake in primary care clinics in Australia (SIMPLY-B Study): protocol for a pilot evaluation.

Moussa D, Wallace J, Manski-Nankervis JA, Doyle JS, Nguyen L, Boyle D, Stoové MA, Asselin J, Valaydon Z, Ahad M, Glasgow S, New K, Hocking JS, Sanci L, Thompson A, Hellard M, Howell J

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  • Published 03 Mar 2023

  • Volume 13

  • ISSUE 3

  • Pagination e070663

  • DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070663.

Abstract

Introduction Despite the availability of effective, subsidised hepatitis B treatment, linkage to care and treatment rates remain very low globally. In Australia, specially trained primary care physicians (general practitioner, GPs) can prescribe hepatitis B treatment, however, most hepatitis B care occurs in specialist clinics. Increasing hepatitis B management by GPs in primary care clinics is essential to achieve national hepatitis B linkage to care and treatment targets by 2030.

This pilot study determines the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of Simply B, a novel GP hepatitis B e-support package designed to increase hepatitis B management by GPs in primary care clinics.

Methods and analysis This study will be conducted in three parts:

Part A: A prospective open-label pilot intervention study, comparing the proportion of people with hepatitis B who are managed by their GP in primary care clinics before, 12 months and 24 months after implementation of the Simply B electronic hepatitis B support package.

Part B: A nested qualitative health services feasibility study using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis

Part C: Cost-effectiveness analysis.

Ethics and dissemination This study has received ethics approval by St Vincent’s Hospital. Data management and analysis will be centralised through the Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital.

Trial registration number NCT05614466.