Peking University Education Foundation
The Peking University Education Foundation will create a virtual, web-based community for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients in China and provide them with the tools to better self-manage their disease.
Need
In a survey conducted by Peking University Hepatology Institute among 1,363, non-specialist healthcare providers from various regions, hospitals and departments it was found that:
- The majority (62%) did not regard anti-hepatitis C antibody detection as a routine hospital procedure
- 44% said they would not advise patients who tested positive for the antibody to consult a specialist
- Nearly three-quarters (71%) thought HCV was incurable or had a low cure rate
- Nearly 50% thought there were no effective treatments for the disease, despite the availability of three treatment regimens
Inadequate knowledge about HCV, in both patients and non-specialists, is impacting patient treatment and adherence to regimens.
Project
Peking University Education Foundation and Peking University Hepatology Institute will receive $308,000 over three years to work together to develop an informative web-based platform. This platform will help HCV patients enhance their self-management skills and to build capacity for HCV diagnosis and treatment among healthcare professionals.
This virtual Internet community will also:
- Be used for education and communication between physicians and patients and colleagues who practice in rural areas
- Allow patient-to-patient and patient-to-doctor communication through self-tracking by using electronic health records, online social media and patients’ personal health records
- Minimize barriers to treatment and follow-up and inform policy by interpreting real-time data on patients' needs
With more than 800 million Chinese currently using the Internet, web-based communication technologies can deliver and disseminate knowledge to broad audiences, making them efficient and cost-effective.
Partners
- Peking University Hepatology Institute
- Chinese Society of Hepatology
- Young Committee of Chinese Society of Hepatology