LiverDoc’s products are all about bringing clinical relevant academic knowledge to the busy physician and informed choice to the patient in the area of liver disease, and specifically viral hepatitis. DocTop is a monthly top 10 selection out of 200-300 new publications in PubMed. Each selected article is given a 1*-3* rating and commentary with facts and added value. Search, favorites and dispatch functions make it very easy for clinicians to remain up-to-date, and for patients to make an informed choice.
Since 1996 mortality due to HIV has fallen in all developed countries due to identification of infected persons and highly effective antiviral therapy. Despite the availability of highly effective methods for identification and treatment for hepatitis B and C, mortality due to viral hepatitis has risen in developed countries. Lack of awareness of chronic hepatitis B and C and its mortality (10 x higher than HIV now) is the underlying problem according to the Institute of Medicine in 2010. DocTop makes it possible to raise awareness about chronic viral hepatitis.
A 32-year woman with chronic hepatitis B presents with pregnancy. The relevant guideline is from 2009, but new management options have emerged.
PubMed lists 3184 articles on the combined topic, and 705 since 2009. Finding the relevant article is time-consuming. Searching in DocTop provides 11 relevant articles; rating and commentaries guide the busy clinician directly to the desired information.
DocTop contains information on hepatitis B for 8 years (2014 – 2007), and on hepatitis C for 4 years (2014 – 2011).
Title, authors and journal coordinates are published with a link to the PubMed abstract (and full article if published in open-access)
A search engine facilitates to explore the database of selected articles. Favorites allow the regular user to build his own list of important articles. Dispatch facilities like e-mail and Twitter aid to dissemination of hepatitis knowledge in the community.
Top publications are selected by a junior physician in GE specialty training at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam and an (em.) Professor of Clinical Hepatology. Criteria for selection of a top publication are clinical relevance and reliability. Priority topics are prevention through vaccination, study on treatments in groups of 40 patients or more , special cases and side effects of ( antiviral ) drugs. Originality of new findings also helps in the selection of articles.