# A Shared Medical Appointment Program to Improve Self-management of Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

## TL;DR

A telehealth program called BRIDGE improves patients' knowledge and confidence in managing metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease.

## Contribution

BRIDGE is a novel telehealth shared medical appointment program designed to enhance self-management of MASLD.

## Key findings

- Participants showed significant improvements in knowledge and confidence in making health behavioral changes.
- Self-efficacy in managing emotions and accessing health information increased after the program.
- The program was effective across diverse patient demographics, including transplant recipients and those with cirrhosis.

## Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common liver disease, with a rising global prevalence exceeding 30%. Effective lifestyle intervention programs are critically needed to enhance the self-management of individuals with MASLD. We implemented Behavioral Resources and Intervention through Digital Group Education (BRIDGE), a 6-session, group telehealth psychoeducational program in shared medical appointments in an academic outpatient hepatology clinic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the program’s impact on participants’ knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy in managing MASLD.

In a single-arm quasi-experimental study from January 2022 to May 2024, BRIDGE participants completed preintervention and postintervention surveys. We analyzed demographic and clinical data from medical records and survey responses assessing for change in knowledge and confidence in managing MASLD, self-efficacy in managing psychosocial health and accessing health information, and self-reported physical activity.

Seventy MASLD patients participated, including 25 transplant recipients. The median age of participants was 57, with 49% female, 44% non-Hispanic White, 29% Hispanic, 23% with cirrhosis, 41% with diabetes, and a median body mass index of 32.5. Postintervention surveys demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge, confidence in making health behavioral changes, and increased self-efficacy in managing emotions and accessing health information.

The BRIDGE telehealth shared medical appointment program enhances self-management in patients with MASLD by improving knowledge and confidence in making meaningful changes in health-related behaviors.