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Abstract Details
Living in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease silent epidemic: a qualitative systematic review of patients' perspectives
1Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
2Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
3Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
4Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore.
5Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
6NAFLD Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
7Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
8Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
9National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Health System, Singapore.
10Cedars-Sinai Fatty Liver Program, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, California, USA.
11Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Abstract
Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects one-fourth of the global population. Yet, the care of these patients is limited and awareness of NAFLD remains low in the general public. Investigations into the lives of these patients are often forgotten and traditional quantitative studies only paint part of the picture.
Aim: To assess the first-hand accounts of these individuals and their perspective on living with NAFLD.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science database for qualitative literature regarding patients' perspectives on NAFLD. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted to generate themes and supportive subthemes.
Results: We incuded eight articles in the review. There were three major themes including the impact on the quality of life, knowledge and information, and attitudes and perceptions on care. The impact of the quality of life details the emotional and physical distress of NAFLD. Knowledge and information include the lack of sufficient communication between healthcare providers and patients with a distinct knowledge gap. Attitudes and perceptions on care extrapolate the current active participation of patients and needs of the patients and the future care that they desire.
Conclusion: This review synthesises first-hand accounts of individuals with NAFLD. With the growing burden of NAFLD, future public interventions must consider individual views for success to be found. The identified themes serve as a forefront for consideration for public policies. Ultimately, NAFLD is a multisystem disease, which must be managed by a multidisciplinary team.