From Guidelines To Uniform Pan-Healthcare Professional Practice: Development Of An International Consensus Care Pathway For The Diagnosis And Management Of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

PBC is an infrequent but important, lifelong autoimmune cholestatic liver disease that leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and, ultimately, the need for liver transplantation. Its clinical course is heterogeneous, making it difficult for clinicians to diagnose and risk stratify patients with confidence. Patient management is frequently shared across primary and secondary care, and between physicians, nurse specialists and physician assistants. A key recommendation of recent EASL treatment guidelines was the development of a Care Pathway, to facilitate standardized approaches to management based on current practice. Evidence-based guidelines are critical but do not readily translate into a patient care flow: the objective of this exercise was to leverage clinical expertise to develop this practical translation.