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​Hepatoma screening initiative​

December 20, 2021

​Patients with cirrhosis of the liver and/or chronic Hepatitis B are at risk to develop liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). Please encourage your patients to follow the guidelines* which recommend ultrasounds every six months to detect early-stage liver cancer.

Independence is introducing a new initiative to increase screenings and reduce the incidence of late-stage liver cancer.

Independence data indicates that only 50 percent of the eligible population meet the current guidelines on screenings. Detecting early-stage liver cancer may improve the effectiveness of treatment and is potentially curative for some patients.

Prevent your patients from developing late-stage liver cancer

We have developed a report, the Hepatoma Screening Report (Hepatoma), that helps providers know when patients are behind in their screenings. The report is available through the Analytics & Reporting (AR) application within the Provider Engagement, Analytics & Reporting (PEAR) portal.

Here are some of the ways we can work together to get more patients screened:

  • Refer to the Hepatoma report in PEAR AR to see which patients have not been screened within the past six months. To access the report, select Output Manager from the top of the page. The report will show under Published Reports.
  • Reach out to these patients to inform them of the recommendation for ultrasound and to help guide the patient to ultrasound completion.
  • Remind your patients that standard radiology copayments or coinsurance will apply for Independence members.

Leading innovation

The Independence Clinical Care Innovation (CCI) team is leading the hepatoma screening initiative. The CCI team is focused on innovative approaches to health care delivery that will ultimately help improve the health and well-being of our members.

Learn more

For more information on the importance of hepatoma screenings, please read A Practical Guideline for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening in Patients at Risk.

 

*Frenette, Catherine T., et al. “A Practical Guideline for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening in Patients at Risk." National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6713857/​

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