Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has launched an online information programme for hepatitis B patients and their carers in Europe.

PATH B will provide a 'road map' to guide patients through their journey with chronic hepatitis B, from diagnosis to long-term disease management.

The programme was organised and funded by BMS, which markets hepatitis B drug Baraclude (entecavir), and will be provided as an educational service by the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) and The European Liver Patients Association (ELPA).

WHA president Charles Gore said: "PATH B is the first of its kind in terms of the range of patient materials available in such a portable interactive format. It really does provide practical help for patients."

The centrepiece of PATH B (Patients and Professionals Acting Together for Hepatitis B) is an interactive, downloadable pdf file covering key aspects of a patient's journey with information ranging from diagnosis to long-term disease management.

While the format is slow to download its aim is to provide users with the full benefits of a website without the need for internet connection.

The programme's resources include an online diary for patients to record notes, test results and medical appointments, and a 'View Your Progress' tool, which allows patients to plot their test results over time and to chart the progress of their treatment.

Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, with 350 million people worldwide being chronically infected, and the progress tool aims to help patients understand their treatment and therefore improve their medication compliance.

BMS said PATH B was also designed to facilitate better patient-physician dialogue, and to provide trustworthy information.

"As a clinician, I have seen that patients who are more knowledgeable about their disease feel empowered and in control and tend to have better outcomes," said PATH B advisory board member, Dr Mark Wilkinson of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.

PATH B has been launched first in English with additional language versions, including German, French, Spanish, Italian, traditional Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese and Russian, to be added early next year.

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