Access to subspecialty GI care may be difficult for patients with liver disease, but it is unknown whether access influences outcomes. A total of 28,861 patients within the Veterans Administration were studied to determine rates and predictors of access to ambulatory GI subspecialty care for patients with liver disease, and to determine whether this access is associated with better survival. The study found that access to ambulatory GI care was associated with improved 5-year survival for patients with liver disease. Innovative care coordination techniques may prove beneficial in extending access to care to liver disease patients.

Read the abstract in the American Journal of Gastroenterology here.