Healthcare Disparities Identified Between Hmong and Other Asian Origin Groups Living with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection in Sacramento County 2014–2017

• Published in: Journal of community health 2020-04, Vol.45 (2), p.412-418
• Main Authors: Wang, Timothy, Liu, Yu, Letran, Duke, Dang, Julie Ha Thi, Harris, Aaron M., Li, Chin-Shang, Chen, Moon S., Bowlus, Christopher L., Chak, Eric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Asian - statistics & numerical data; California; Chronic infection; Community and Environmental Psychology; DNA testing; Electronic health records; Electronic medical records; Ethics; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Healthcare Disparities - ethnology; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis B, Chronic - ethnology; Hmong people; Humans; Liver cancer; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Non English Speaking; Original Paper; Patients
• ISSN: 0094-5145; 1573-3610
• DOI: 10.1007/s10900-019-00763-1

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) disproportionately affects non-US born Asians. The Hmong have been shown to have the highest rates of CHB and mortality from liver cancer compared to other Asian groups. From September 2014 to September 2017, testing for CHB within Sacramento County was conducted through community-based testing events and an electronic health record alert that identified Asian patients by surname. Demographic and laboratory data were collected for analysis and patients were followed through the study period to assess linkage to care and treatment to compare differences between Asian origin groups. Of 4350 patients tested for CHB, 318 (7.3%) were HBsAg positive, including 90 Chinese, 47 Hmong, and 101 Vietnamese. Hmong were more likely to have Medicaid insurance compared to other Asian origin groups (15%, p