• Chaw Han, Rozemary Karamatic, and Josh Hanson.
• Department of Gastroenterology, Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2024 Mar 15.

BackgroundAustralia is struggling to meet its National Hepatitis B Strategy care targets, particularly in nonmetropolitan settings. It is vital to engage priority populations and improve their access to recommended care to reach these targets.AimsThis retrospective study examined people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in regional North Queensland, Australia, and determined whether their care adhered to current national CHB management guidelines. The analysis aimed to identify gaps in care that might be addressed to improve future outcomes.MethodsAll individuals referred to the gastroenterology clinic at the Townsville University Hospital in regional North Queensland, Australia, for CHB care between January 2015 and December 2020 were identified. Their linkage to care, engagement in care and receipt of guideline-recommended CHB care were determined.ResultsOf 255 individuals, 245 (96%) were linked to care; 108 (42%) remained engaged in care and 86 (38%) were receiving guideline-recommended care in 2021. There were 91/255 (36%) who identified as Indigenous Australians. Indigenous status was the only independent predictor of not being linked to care (odds ratio (OR): 0.13 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-0.60), P = 0.01), not being engaged in care (OR: 0.19 (95% CI: 0.10-0.36), P < 0.0001), not receiving guideline-recommended CHB care (OR: 0.16 (95% CI: 0.08-0.31), P < 0.0001) or not being engaged in a hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance programme (OR: 0.08 (95% CI: 0.02-0.27), P < 0.0001).ConclusionCurrent approaches are failing to deliver optimal CHB care to Indigenous Australians in regional North Queensland. Targeted strategies to ensure that Indigenous Australians in the region receive equitable care are urgently needed.© 2024 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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