Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40106112›Full record

ArticleDigestive diseases and sciences2025

Impact of the Underutilization of Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography in MASLD Patients Without Insurance Coverage.

Christopher Ma, David S Goldberg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Christopher MaDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
David S GoldbergDivision of Digestive Health and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. dsgoldberg@med.miami.edu.

Funding

Miami Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUL1TR002736 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI CARRASQUILLO, OLVEEN, KOBETZ, ERIN N · 2018 to 2022
$23.2M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002736
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeVibration-controlled transient elastographies (VCTEs) are used to surveil disease progression in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but this test is not covered by Florida Medicaid. This study aims to quantify the number of MASLD adults in a tertiary care center who did not obtain VCTEs despite indications for one based on their fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores, estimate the downstream costs associated with lack of VCTE access, and extrapolate these findings to the broader Florida Medicaid population.

methodsThe study population was categorized into fibrosis risk groups based on their FIB-4 scores. For each insurance group (Medicaid, Medicare, and private), elastography studies and costs were collected and compared in patients who did or did not receive them. This data were then extrapolated to the statewide Medicaid MASLD population.

resultsAmong 282 MASLD patients with Medicaid, 64 patients were categorized as "intermediate-risk" for fibrosis based on their FIB-4, but only 4 had VCTEs performed. The number of VCTEs performed was significantly lower in the Medicaid group in comparison to all "intermediate-risk" patients with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance [χ

conclusionVCTEs are underutilized in MASLD patients with Medicaid and VCTE use is associated with significantly lower downstream healthcare costs.

Indexed as

Elasticity Imaging TechniquesFatty LiverInsurance CoverageLiver CirrhosisAdultAgedFemaleFloridaHealth Care CostsHumansMaleMedicaidMedicareMiddle AgedUnited StatesVibrationDownstream costsFIB-4MASLDMedicaidVibration-controlled transient elastography

Identifiers

PMID40106112
PMCPMC12185646

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.