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
Jane S Hocking,
Margaret Hellard,
Douglas Boyle,
Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis,
Lena Sanci,
Alexander Thompson,
Joseph S Doyle,
Jason Asselin,
Mark A Stoové,
Jack Wallace,
Dina Moussa,
Long Nguyen,
Zina Valaydon,
Marvad Ahad,
Susanne Glasgow,
Kate New,
Jess Howell
Affiliations
Jane S Hocking
School of Population and Global Health, Univerisy of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Margaret Hellard
1 Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Douglas Boyle
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Lena Sanci
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Alexander Thompson
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Joseph S Doyle
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jason Asselin
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Mark A Stoové
1 Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jack Wallace
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Dina Moussa
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Long Nguyen
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Zina Valaydon
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Marvad Ahad
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Susanne Glasgow
St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Kate New
St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jess Howell
The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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 analysisPart 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.
