RECRUITING NOW! A new trial supporting GPs to identify and manage Advanced Liver Fibrosis in Primary Care

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the fastest growing cancers in Australia, largely due to increases in metabolic risk factors such as diabetes and obesity in the population. With one in three Australians having fatty liver disease, screening for liver fibrosis in primary care is an effective way to improve patient survival and reduce the burden of late-stage HCC on the healthcare system. Advanced liver fibrosis, the common precursor for HCC, can be easily screened for using accurate, non-invasive diagnostic tests available in primary care. However, 66% of advanced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis cases presenting for tertiary care go unrecognised by GPs.

The IDEAL Care Trial, led by Professor Leon Adams (University of Western Australia) and Dr Barbara Hunter (Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne), is exploring the real-world effectiveness of the RACGP-endorsed integrated liver fibrosis detection pathway to support the rapid implementation of nationally standardised screening in primary care.The trial team will work with urban and rural general practices across Western Australia and Victoria to support practitioners in screening their patients for liver fibrosis and identifying appropriate pathways for management.

The IDEAL Care Trial has been recruiting urban and rural general practices in Western Australia and Victoria in waves.  The final wave of recruitment is now open. Participating practices will be re-imbursed $1500, and GPs will each receive two CPD hours for the completion of an education module.

For further information, please contact:

Sophie Frear (National Trial Coordinator of the IDEAL Care Trial): sophie.frear@uwa.edu.au or VicREN: vicren-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au

The IDEAL Care Trial has received funding under the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and human research ethics approval from the University of Western Australia (2023/ET001136).