ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of an intervention in which medical-microbiological laboratories alert general practitioners (GPs) in writing about patients with a chronic hepatitis B or C infection in their practice, urging them to bring these patients under medical surveillance again now that treatment options have improved and guidelines have been revised. DESIGN: Descriptive, prospective. METHOD: All patients who had been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C between 2003 and 2013 on the request of the GP, and for whom diagnostics by an internist, infectious diseases specialist or gastrointestinal/liver specialist had never been requested, were included. The requesting GP received a letter advising them to confirm the diagnosis, and if results were positive to refer the patient to a hepatitis centre. If the GP did not respond, or the healthcare practitioner involved was not the current GP, a written reminder was sent. RESULTS: A total of 515 letters were sent initially; the final response following reminders was 362 (70%). Of these 362 patients, 69 (19%) still had an indication for referral and 45 (64%) were referred to a hepatitis centre. CONCLUSION: The intervention was successful, feasible and relatively simple.
