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Advocacy group encourages a “partnership” between clinicians and patients.
Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have the right to expect certain multidisciplinary treatments that clinicians should be aware of, a patient advocacy group said.
Warren Hall, MDiv, of the nonprofit American Liver Foundation, unveiled this “NASH Patient Bill of Rights” dressed as George Washington, complete with a jacket, white wig, and tri-corner hat in a talk at the virtual American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases annual meeting.
Keeping in character, he read out these rights on a scroll, which included that patients:
- Receive the best care and treatment possible
- Take as much time as necessary with your healthcare team
- Ask your doctor for a specialist referral or second opinion
- Partner with your doctor to create a multidisciplinary team
- Expect ongoing coordination of your care
These rights, among others, were the result of a NASH roundtable last September, which consisted of patients, providers, and endocrinologists.
Hall shared an anecdote about a patient who said they got more information from their patient support group on Facebook than from their own physician. He also discussed the stigma associated with liver disease — particularly the assumption that anyone with the disease drinks too much alcohol.
