title: Role of general practitioners in prevention and treatment of hepatitis B in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may impose an economic burden to patients or their families. The prevention and control of HBV could effectively reduce the burden. However, the management of HBV-related patients has not been well controlled in China. With the development of general practitioner (GP) system in this country, GPs may greatly improve the management of the patients with HBV infection. However, the role of GPs in controlling HBV infection has been rarely studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search of PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang data and VIP was performed with the following key words: "general practitioner", "family physician", "community management", "community health care workers", "family practice", "hepatitis B virus", "HBV", "HBV vaccination", "HBV prevention", "HBV management", "HBV treatment", "antiviral therapy" and "chronic hepatitis B (CHB)". The information about the GPs-involved prevention, diagnosis and treatment of CHB was reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reports on the role of GPs in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection are few. But the experiences from Western countries demonstrated that GPs could play a significant role in the management of patients with CHB. The importance of GPs is obvious although there are some difficulties in China. GPs and health officials at different levels should work together in the management of patients with CHB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The involvement of GPs in the management of patients with HBV infection is effective in China. But GPs' knowledge and skills for the control of HBV infection have to be improved currently. GPs' involvement will enforce the management of CHB in China in the near future.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003, China. ljli@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kai-Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shi-Gui
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Lan-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002983:Clinical Competence; D058006:General Practice; D006295:Health Resources; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010819:Physician's Role; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines