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Working group finalizes 11 recommendations on liver health; flags screening and operational questions
Summary
A working group finalizing recommendations on NASH and liver health confirmed 11 recommendations addressing nine original questions, recommended a statewide "liver health day," and sought input from Public Health and the American Liver Foundation on operational issues such as screening, data flow, and patient follow-up.
Speaker 1, a member of the unnamed working group drafting recommendations on NASH and liver health, told members at the group's final meeting that the team had produced 11 recommendations intended to address the nine broad questions they were asked to tackle.
The group discussed how to convert conceptual recommendations into actionable steps and whether some operational matters — such as how screening results would be recorded or routed to primary care — should be handled by a separate implementation team. "I think we're sort of in the in between stage here," Speaker 1 said, noting the working group lacked the capacity to produce a fully operational plan.
Why it matters: The recommendations are intended to surface the incidence of liver disease, propose screening where appropriate and improve public awareness and treatment pathways. Speaker 2 raised a common operational concern: "Once a person is screened, does that data automatically go back to the primary care physician, or does it appear in Epic at all for treatment purposes?" Speaker 1 said those questions require additional stakeholders and technical input outside the four- or five-person working group.
Collaboration and outreach: Speaker 1 said she and Dr. Benigni had spoken with leadership of the American Liver Foundation, which has offered materials and pilot experience. "They said they would get back to us before January 1st, with further input from their side," Speaker 1 said. The group noted the foundation had piloted a "NASH day" in about six or seven states and produced slide sets and outreach materials that could be adapted locally.
Nutrition and prevention: The working group also reviewed nutrition guidance submitted by Lisonbee focused on children and urged highlighting fructose as a key dietary risk for fatty liver disease. Speaker 1 proposed adding this nutrition material as an appendix to the recommendations.
Next steps: Speaker 1 and Dr. Benigni will consolidate the separate documents and circulate a single Word file to the group by the coming Monday or Tuesday. Members were asked to return comments so the group could submit a final package to "Peter" by Jan. 1. The meeting concluded with thanks and holiday greetings.
What was not decided: The group did not adopt any formal motions or votes during the meeting, and it did not finalize operational protocols such as data integration with Epic, staffing for screening, or funding sources for implementation. Those items were identified as gaps for follow-up.
