Advanced liver disease: A new system for supporting patients
Hunter New England Area Health Service
This project was entered in the 2007 NSW Health Awards, Smart Choices about the Costs and Benefits of Health Services category.
Contact: Tonia Easton
Abstract
Chronic liver disease is a common clinical scenario world-wide. The burden of illness from chronic liver disease will increase markedly over the next few decades due predominantly to alcohol and hepatitis C. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a variety of adverse health consequences including cirrhosis of the liver. In Australia, alcohol is second only to tobacco as a cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. (1) Once end stage disease develops patients can consume considerable health resources. In 2004 a Gastroenterology Liaison Nurse Service was established to co-ordinate the management of patients with chronic gastrointestinal disease and in 2006 we evaluated the cost effectiveness and patient acceptability of the service to patients with resistant ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen due to liver failure). The Gastro Liaison Nurse service had resulted in fewer unplanned admissions, fewer emergency department presentations, reduced length of stay and decreased associated costs with high patient acceptability.
The full entry document can be downloaded in the formats listed below:
Advanced liver disease: A new system for supporting patients (87KB)
Advanced liver disease: A new system for supporting patients (46KB)
Download the Presentation (397KB) from the 2007 NSW Health Expo
