Grant: Project Grant - PA: Patient-Oriented Research - Implementation Science

In Canada, 1 in 3 people faces a common but often undetected threat - Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD is a build-up of fat into the liver that can lead to scarring (fibrosis) and early death. In people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), this risk jumps to a concerning 60%. MASLD is called "the silent killer" because can progress to severe liver issues and even premature death without any symptoms. MASLD is now a leading cause of liver transplantation in Canada. Recent guidelines recommend to screen people with diabetes for MASLD and associated fibrosis. However, Canada faces hurdles in making it happen because of lack of engagement of patients and their doctors in MASLD care, along with limited access to modern non-invasive diagnostic tests. This leads to missed opportunities to catch MASLD before it turns into life-threatening cirrhosis. We are a diverse team of patients and researchers committed to improve liver health in people with T2D. We have championed care models and non-invasive tests to diagnose MASLD, such as the ultrasound-based Fibroscan and blood biomarkers. These patient-friendly tests can accurately diagnose fatty liver without liver biopsy, which can be painful and has complications. Our main plan is to find out what patients and their doctors prefer when it comes to MASLD care. We're doing this with something called a discrete choice experiment (DCE), a fancy way of understanding what matters most to patients and their healthcare providers. We will recruit 572 people with T2D and physicians in Canada to learn about their preferences on how to diagnose and treat MASLD. By presenting different scenarios, we will learn what they prioritize. We will then use this info to create a better care plan for Canadians with T2D. Our research is crucial because it uses what people and doctors prefer, found through the DCE, to make MASLD screening easier in Canada. If we succeed, it means fewer lives cut short by liver problems.