Hepatologists Can Expand Access to Palliative Care for Patients With End-Stage Liver Disease
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that palliative care delivered by hepatologists trained in palliative care was as effective as care delivered by palliative care specialists for patients with end-stage liver disease. In the cluster randomized trial of 935 patients across 19 U.S. medical centers, both approaches improved quality of life, symptom burden, and depression over three months, while the hepatologist-led model was associated with greater patient satisfaction. The findings suggest health systems can adopt the model that best fits staffing and clinical workflows while expanding access to high-quality palliative care.