Development of a lifestyle service pathway in NAFLD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of the first evidence based lifestyle service pathway for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) Phase 1: Exploring the current service pathway
IRAS ID
174641
Contact name
Kate S Hallsworth
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of liver conditions ranging from simple fatty liver to cirrhosis. NAFLD affects up to 1 in 3 adults in the UK. Prevalence increases with degree of obesity, and is very common in those with Type 2 diabetes. Rising prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, particularly in younger people, will ensure that NAFLD remains a growing clinical concern for the future.
Lifestyle modification, which encompasses diet, weight loss, physical activity, and/or exercise related behaviours, is the primary recommended therapy for NAFLD, especially in the absence of approved pharmaceutical agents. Despite the prevalence and importance of NAFLD in developing more advanced clinical presentations, pathways
for the clinical management of NAFLD are poorly defined. The lack of a defined care pathway essentially leaves patients unsupported until they present with more advanced conditions before they are actively engaged in care.This research will define the current "lived experience" for people diagnosed with NAFLD and their care teams, both in Primary and Secondary Care. Furthermore, the treatment algorithms and treatment trajectory (i.e. who gets referred to Secondary Care and how the condition is monitored) will be defined alongside how patients perceive the condition/service and feel about the care pathway. This research will lay the foundation for future work aimed at streamlining and redesigning the NAFLD service pathway and will investigate what tools are deemed to be neccessary to support the effective delivery of the NAFLD lifestyle service pathway.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0815
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion