Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of PractitionersPrimary Care DoctorsHepatitis SpecialistsOthers CliniciansMultidisciplinary TeamFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Practitioners
Primary Care Doctors
Hepatitis Specialists
Others Clinicians
Multidisciplinary Team
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have hepatitis, you may be wondering who can treat yourhepatitis. Well, a hepatitis specialist can help. But do you know the difference between the different kinds of clinicians who can treat your hepatitis? To help you understand who does what, here’s a short description of the different professionals who might work in your healthcare setting.
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Most people will probably learn of their hepatitis diagnosis from their primary care clinician. Primary care is usually described as the type of routine head-to-toe medical care that everybody needs throughout their lives—such as annual check-ups, health education, and ongoing care of chronic illnesses.
It is often the first level of health care to identify health problems, such as hepatitis. In one sense, primary care is simply where you get your main medical care, but it is also the first level of entry to the American healthcare system.
Primary care providers are physicians who usually specialize in family medicine or internal medicine. These providers will have the necessary training to manage most cases of viral and chronic hepatitis. Other clinicians, like nurse practitioners and physician assistants, also provide primary care services and may have significant experience managing hepatitis depending on their level of training.
Hepatologist vs. Gastroenterologist
Each of the specialists described above can focus on either adults or children. For example, a physician could be an adult gastroenterologist or a pediatric gastroenterologist. The difference in focus comes from the choice of residency after medical school. Usually, a physician enters a residency program immediately after graduating from medical school.
If the physician is interested in treating only children and teenagers, he or she will complete a pediatric residency program, which is three years of supervised medical practice. After this program, the physician can sub-specialize in a particular type of medicine, such as gastroenterology.
If the physician is only interested in treating adults, the doctor will complete a residency program in internal medicine. Afterward, he or she can also sub-specialize in a particular type of medicine.
Though it’s easy to think that children are just “little adults” when it comes to medical care, this is not really true. Since children have specific medical concerns and require different medical treatments, it’s always a good idea for children or teenagers to see apediatric specialist. Unfortunately, this level of care may not be available in all places, especially in smaller cities or rural areas.
Multidisciplinary Approach
For example, one specialist might perform a liver biopsy while another will manage the long-term therapy with drugs that have significant side effects. While these can be managed at the primary care level, often hepatitis treatment is best served at the subspecialty level, especially treatment for viral hepatitis.
Pathologists are specialty physicians, not primary care physicians, who analyze many tissue specimens, including liver biopsies, and play a critical role in tissue-based diagnosis.
If you are diagnosed withviral hepatitisor any other form of hepatitis, you would generally be referred to either a gastroenterologist, who specializes in diseases of the digestive tract (including the liver), or a hepatologist, who specializes solely in diseases of the liver.
One is not inherently “better” than the other. Most hepatologists are board-certified internal medicine physicians, but they need not necessarily be board-certified in gastroenterology.Hepatologists can also come from other specialties and do specialized gastroenterology and hepatology fellowships.Withend-stage liver disease, a transplant hepatologist is almost invariably needed.
One is not inherently “better” than the other. Most hepatologists are board-certified internal medicine physicians, but they need not necessarily be board-certified in gastroenterology.
Hepatologists can also come from other specialties and do specialized gastroenterology and hepatology fellowships.Withend-stage liver disease, a transplant hepatologist is almost invariably needed.
Hepatitis cannot be managed in isolation. Yourprimary care doctorplays a key role in coordinating your care and ensuring that all other aspects of your health (including conditions like heart disease and diabetes) are being properly managed along with your liver disease.
There is no direct role that alternative practitioners play, although certain practices like yoga and meditation may relieve the stress common in people with liver disease.Always advise your doctor if you are using or thinking about using complementary or alternative medicine to avoid drug interactions orsubstancesthat might harm the liver.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grattagliano I.Management of liver cirrhosis between primary care and specialists.World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(18):2273. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i18.2273Mellinger JL, Volk ML.Multidisciplinary management of patients with cirrhosis: a need for care coordination.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(3):217–23. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.10.040American College of Gastroenterology.Liver transplantation.Klein MB, Baril JG, Charron MA, et al.Management and treatment of hepatitis B virus in patients with HIV infection: a practical guide for health care professionals.Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol.2011;22(3):88-96. doi:10.1155/2011/686918Carlson LE.Mindfulness-based interventions for physical conditions: a narrative review evaluating levels of evidence.ISRN Psychiatry.2012;2012:1-21. doi:10.5402/2012/651583
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grattagliano I.Management of liver cirrhosis between primary care and specialists.World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(18):2273. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i18.2273Mellinger JL, Volk ML.Multidisciplinary management of patients with cirrhosis: a need for care coordination.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(3):217–23. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.10.040American College of Gastroenterology.Liver transplantation.Klein MB, Baril JG, Charron MA, et al.Management and treatment of hepatitis B virus in patients with HIV infection: a practical guide for health care professionals.Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol.2011;22(3):88-96. doi:10.1155/2011/686918Carlson LE.Mindfulness-based interventions for physical conditions: a narrative review evaluating levels of evidence.ISRN Psychiatry.2012;2012:1-21. doi:10.5402/2012/651583
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Grattagliano I.Management of liver cirrhosis between primary care and specialists.World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(18):2273. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i18.2273Mellinger JL, Volk ML.Multidisciplinary management of patients with cirrhosis: a need for care coordination.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(3):217–23. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.10.040American College of Gastroenterology.Liver transplantation.Klein MB, Baril JG, Charron MA, et al.Management and treatment of hepatitis B virus in patients with HIV infection: a practical guide for health care professionals.Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol.2011;22(3):88-96. doi:10.1155/2011/686918Carlson LE.Mindfulness-based interventions for physical conditions: a narrative review evaluating levels of evidence.ISRN Psychiatry.2012;2012:1-21. doi:10.5402/2012/651583
Grattagliano I.Management of liver cirrhosis between primary care and specialists.World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(18):2273. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i18.2273
Mellinger JL, Volk ML.Multidisciplinary management of patients with cirrhosis: a need for care coordination.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(3):217–23. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.10.040
American College of Gastroenterology.Liver transplantation.
Klein MB, Baril JG, Charron MA, et al.Management and treatment of hepatitis B virus in patients with HIV infection: a practical guide for health care professionals.Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol.2011;22(3):88-96. doi:10.1155/2011/686918
Carlson LE.Mindfulness-based interventions for physical conditions: a narrative review evaluating levels of evidence.ISRN Psychiatry.2012;2012:1-21. doi:10.5402/2012/651583
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