Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Sep 2010
Chronic hepatitis B: perceptions in Asian American communities and diagnosis and management practices among primary care physicians.
Asian Americans exhibit a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) compared with the general population in the United States. However, there are specific barriers to appropriate health care in the Asian American population, and CHB awareness is low. The aim of this study was to examine CHB awareness among the Asian American population and to assess the role and attitudes of primary care physicians in CHB diagnosis and treatment, particularly in relation to Asian American communities. ⋯ Improved education regarding CHB disease progression, prevention, and treatment is needed among both the Asian American community and primary care physicians to increase awareness of the seriousness of the disease and ultimately reduce the burden of CHB in the United States.