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Last week SurfingNASH offered a final re-focus on an episode that originally aired during Season 1. Continuing on the focus around allied health, this session dives into the role of nurses, physicians and allied health professionals in supporting NASH patients - a topic of increasing relevance as the field grapples with new nomenclature for liver disease and the imminence of therapeutic approvals. Specifically, the group explores whether healthcare systems can be as effective as companies like Noom and WeightWatchers.

This fascinating conversation features ideas shared by Stephen Harrison, Peter Traber (Chief Medical Officer at Selecta Biosciences ), Louise Campbell and Roger Green. Roger begins by framing the discussion around three questions:

1) For allied professionals how much of their focus lies in maintaining and enhancing wellness as compared to treating illness?

2) How do these two concepts differ both in the minds of professionals and in terms of what information and guidance they present to patients?

3) What are the keys in supporting patients' focus on wellness, both during the office visit and afterwards?

Louise responds based on her own experience as she recently moved out of the NHS to focus on more early stages of the disease, where it's ultimately easier to change behavior and encourage wellness and preventative practices in general. Louise connects the idea that liver patients tend not to get information until later in their disease to the announcement that the British government made on creating a far reaching policy around obesity and its likely impact on patient health. In response to one of the questions from Roger, Louise goes on to discuss how we present information in ways that empower patients to take better care of themselves. Done right, this can extend beyond the individual patients and to their families and other supporters. Peter agrees and comments based on his own past experiences in medical practice. He notes that patients have extensive care teams with multiple areas of expertise and patients are best served when the care team members actually act as a team (keeping in mind especially that 2020 was mid-pandemic).

If you have questions or comments around our From the Vault series, allied health, education or any other ideas addressed in this episode, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download the discourse. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected]. The Surfing the NASH Tsunami will be back next week with more original content.

Stay Safe and Surf On!