Telehealth-Based Evaluation Identifies Patients Who Are Not Candidates for Liver Transplantation

Abstract

The burden of chronic liver disease has increased exponentially, driving more patients toward orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) evaluation.¹ Because of limited access to transplant centers, patients often travel long distances to be evaluated for OLT.² Liver transplantation in the VA system is offered at 6 Veterans Affairs transplant centers (VATCs) across the United States, including Richmond. To increase access to specialty care, the VA introduced the Specialty Care Access Network-Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO) program,^3,4 which was designed to transfer subspecialty knowledge to primary care physicians. In 2011, the Richmond VA introduced SCAN-ECHO for gastroenterology/hepatology providers to facilitate case-based distance learning combined with real-time consultation in hepatology, and the opportunity for an initial triage without completing a formal transplant evaluation. We studied the role of SCAN-ECHO in triaging OLT evaluations and the utility of this health care delivery in the field of transplantation.