Why my hepatologist gave me such a note?

General Discussion Lab results
#1

Dear all,

I am a hep b carrier. The last time I saw my hepatologist is about 2 or 3 years ago, and after reviewing my test results, she advised me to see her again when I turn 50s (i was 35 years old then). I was happy to hear this at that time, no need to visit her on a regular basis. I didn’t give it a second thought on why she made that decision. I almost forgot I was a hep b carrier since then, until I wanna pursue my study in nursing. When I do research online, it normally advise people to monitor the virus every 6 months or one year, and it is very important to do so. Then I became so confused on why my hepatologist made that desicion. Does that mean I can have a peace of mind on my hep b status? I just went to my family doctor to do my blood work, and my virus still stay inactive. But she can’t explain that note record either. She can only refer me to see the hepatologist if my result shows something unusual. The more I search online, the more weird I feel about this note. Anyone have any idea? My question might sound weird too, i am just very curious. Thank you for taking your time reading through my post, and looking foward to hearing you opinions.

#2

Dear @Liz,

The monitoring of Hepatitis B does vary from place to place. In some counties, simple cases of Hepatitis B (e.g., in inactive phases) can be monitored by your GP, who can refer you back to the hepatologist if anything changes. My understanding is that there are so many hepatitis B patients and not enough hepatologists, so this is a way of sharing the load while still maintaining good care.

Thomas

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#3

Thank you Thomas for answering my puzzle. I think you are right. Though I don’t need to vist my hepatologist now, i 'd better monitor my virus status through my family doctor every year.

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