Nurse-led Decision Counseling on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with poor prognosis worldwide. The asymptomatic of early-stage HCC may lead most patients diagnosed at advanced stages. This highlights the importance of HCC screening among high-risk populations to detect HCC at early stages and achieve better survival. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of HCC in China, but the utilization of HCC screening is suboptimal among patients with HBV infection. Currently, there are no-theory based intervention, to our knowledge, has been reported to improve HCC screening decision-making and uptake among patients with HBV infection . Therefore, based on our previous systematic review, the current study has proposed a nurse-led decision counseling program to improve decision-making and uptake of HCC screening among patients with HBV infection in mainland China. Participants in intervention group will receive nurse-led decision counseling. The intervention components include 40-minute education and tailored information regarding HCC screening. At the second week, decision support will be provided through 30-minute telephone call. At the third week, another telephone call (20 minutes) will be provided to help participants identify and address barriers to HCC screening. Participants in control group will receive usual care. After the intervention and at 3-month follow-up, the study will collect data related to HCC screening uptake rates. Findings are paramount to promote informed choice in HCC screening and early HCC detection to improve survival outcomes among patients with HBV infection.