GLI Engagement at The Liver Meeting

Global Liver Institute (GLI) brought the patient perspective to the digital forefront during The Liver Meeting Digital Experience held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) November 13-16, 2020. As part of their new strategic plan, AASLD has committed to actively engage with patients, and GLI staff highlighted the important role GLI has to play in implementing this strategy, in addition to sharing GLI’s advocacy work and goals: 

  • As a member of the Inaugural Patient Advisory Committee, Donna R. Cryer, JD,  GLI President and CEO, participated in an interactive Meet and Greet between committee members and the hepatology community.

  • Andrew Scott, GLI Director of Policy, spoke about best practices in liver health advocacy and opportunities to participate in liver health advocacy with Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

  • Donna co-moderated presentations of key public health, health equity, and healthcare delivery posters through an Interactive Patient-Focused Abstract Tour.

  • Donna was also pleased to co-moderate the AASLD Annual Patients Forum, which included patient advocacy organization leaders and focused on patient engagement achievements and future areas for collaboration. 

GLI applauds AASLD for committing to active patient engagement and holding forums for interactive discussions. Featured below are some of the key takeaways that stood out for GLI staff members:

Larry Holden, Chief of Staff

“The biggest take away for me was how the field as a whole has embraced new non-invasive methods for NASH diagnosis as we move away from biopsies. The use of multiple non-invasive diagnostic tests in tandem has shown great promise and will only increase as the technologies and their use matures.”

Jeff McIntyre, NASH Program Director

“As a research meeting, AASLD’s Liver Meeting really drives home the need and importance of collaborative approaches to liver disease. Combination therapies and combined efforts among companies, patients, providers, and payers are vital at this critical stage of NAFLD/NASH diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

There has to be coordination for patients at the center of concurrent conditions (like type 2 diabetes and obesity) and often multiple providers. Much of the research at the Liver Meeting –  such as that on the importance of prenatal intervention, breastfeeding, physical activity, lean NASH, and type 2 diabetes – reinforces this critical need.”

Livia Alimena MSc, European Office and International NASH Day Director

“Attending The Liver Meeting is always a stimulating and educational experience, and this year I had two major takeaways. The first one is the increasing involvement of patient organizations in the scientific sessions and poster presentations at The Liver Meeting as well as in AASLD committees. I can see how these actions engage patients in all facets of AASLD’s work and could lead to improved health outcomes.

My second takeaway is the growing global aspect of the field of NASH. As the Director of the GLI European Office and International NASH Day, I particularly enjoyed the international sessions, including the AASLD/Japan Society of Hepatology Joint Symposium where experts unraveled the latest data on ‘lean NASH’ prevalence in the general population. I also enjoyed the AASLD/EASL Joint Symposium dedicated to the public health implications of NAFLD/NASH in the U.S and in Europe and its correlation with the obesogenic environment. I look forward to using learnings from these sessions as inspiration for our 2021 International NASH Day programs. ” 

Andrew Scott, Policy Director

“I think the big one for me is the need for ‘cross-sector, cross liver disease collaboration.’ This is something we have stressed for a while, but it was abundantly clear in some of the meetings I was in. 

The saying ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ comes to mind. It is important for the community to work together, be synchronized, and have a unified voice focusing on liver health overall, which will open doors for specific initiatives within that liver health umbrella. For example, if we end up being successful in creating a real liver health division within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), suddenly that becomes the main bucket for all future liver disease funding initiatives, whether connected to NASH or viral hepatitis.”

Ivy Ahmed, Liver Cancers Program Director

“At this year's The Liver Meeting, I appreciated seeing so much liver cancer research focused throughout the natural course of the disease, from pre-clinical research and new treatment advances all the way through to palliative care. Covering all aspects of NASH progression is especially important given patients diagnosed with NASH are at greater risk for developing liver cancer.”

Nicole Wells, Pediatric and Rare Liver Diseases Coordinator

"It was exciting to see a glimpse into the future of liver healthcare at The Liver Meeting last week. Learning opportunities were ubiquitous and covered a wide range of topics, from disease pathogenesis to organ allocation models. I was pleased that cholestatic and autoimmune liver disease were well-represented this year."