Table 3.

Evaluation of current diagnostic methods to assess liver fibrosis stage

	Unaware of test		Not useful for fibrosis assessment		Use in clinical practice for fibrosis assessment but do not use		Useful for liver fibrosis assessment
	2014–2015	2021	2014–2015	2021	2014–2015	2021	2014–2015	2021
Clinical examination (n)	0.9% (2)	0.9% (1)	49.8% (107)	40.2% (45)	47% (101)	2.7% (3)	1.9% (4)	56.2% (63)
LFTs (n)	0.9% (2)	0% (-)	65.6% (141)	66.1% (74)	29.8% (64)	4.5% (5)	3.3% (7)	28.6% (32)
Synthetic function (n)	0.9% (2)	0.9% (1)	37.2% (80)	25.9% (29)	59.5% (128)	3.6% (4)	1.9% (4)	68.7% (77)
APRI (n)	15.3% (32)	6.2% (7)	5.6% (12)	7.1% (8)	43.7% (94)	52.7% (59)	34.9% (75)	32.1% (36)
FIB-4 (n)	12.6% (27)	0% (-)	1.9% (4)	0.9% (1)	40.4% (87)	14.3% (16)	44.7% (96)	83.0% (93)
NAFLD Fibrosis Score (n)	5.6% (12)	2.8% (3)	1.9% (4)	0.9% (1)	58.1% (125)	33.9% (40)	34.0% (73)	60.7% (68)
ELF (n)	10.7% (23)	2.8% (3)	1.4% (3)	2.8% (3)	62.3% (134)	49.1% (55)	25.1% (54)	43.7% (49)
VCTE (n)	0% (-)	0% (-)	0% (-)	0% (-)	13.0% (28)	3.6% (4)	86.5% (184)	95.5% (107)
ARFI (n)		16.1% (18)		2.8% (3)		57.1% (64)		18.7% (21)
Ultrasound (n)	0% (-)	16.1% (18)	35.8% (77)	2.8% (3)	2.8% (6)	57.1% (64)	61.4% (132)	18.7% (21)
CT (n)	0.5% (1)	0% (-)	40% (86)	35.7% (40)	16.7% (36)	9.8% (11)	60.9% (140)	52.7% (59)
MRI (n)	0.9% (2)	0% (-)	29.8% (64)	33.9% (38)	25.1% (54)	17.0% (19)	42.3% (91)	48.2% (54)
Liver biopsy n)	0% (-)	0% (-)	0 (-)	20.5% (23)	5.6% (12)	28.6% (32)	43.7% (94)	50.0% (56)

215 responses received from survey 1 in 2014–2015; 112 responses received from survey 2 in 2021. These were the denominators used for respective surveys. Not all participants responded to each modality stated in question.

ARFI, acoustic radio frequency impulse; ARPI, AST to Platelet Ratio Index; ELF, enhanced liver fibrosis test; FIB-4, Fibrosis-4 score; LFTs, liver function tests; VCTE, vibration controlled transient elastography.