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health19h ago
Liver screening at health clinics can save lives, according to pilot study in Rhode Island
- On-site liver screening at a Rhode Island clinic detected liver stiffness and disease in participants, revealing unrecognized conditions.
- A Brown University team teamed with Clínica Esperanza to screen adults with multiple health risk factors during clinic onboarding.
- Participants received counseling, including brief advice or motivational interviewing, to address risk factors for liver disease.
- The study suggests integrating on-site diagnostics with culturally relevant behavioral interventions to reach at-risk populations.
- The pilot involved 14 adults and was conducted over 11 months as part of a community health clinic initiative.
- Researchers plan a randomized controlled trial to test the program on a larger scale.
- Funding for the project came from the National Institutes of Health as a Team Science supplement.
- The FibroScan diagnostic tool detected liver stiffness and fat accumulation in patients.
- Experts emphasized early diagnosis and behavioral changes to prevent progression to severe liver disease.
- Study authors see potential to reduce health disparities through community-based liver screening.
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