Confirming cirrhosis or probable cirrhosis
Written diagnosis
We will accept a person has or had cirrhosis if there is a clear, written diagnosis in their medical records and no other information shows the diagnosis may be wrong.
If there is no clear written diagnosis
From processing claims, we know that there are people who have cirrhosis and are yet to receive a diagnosis. We also know that some people infected with chronic hepatitis have not been checked regularly for cirrhosis, cirrhosis complications, and liver cancer.
We want to make sure that people claiming compensation get access to appropriate care. If the person claiming believes they may have undiagnosed cirrhosis, their claim manager will suggest they contact a clinician or their GP.
Their clinician or GP should provide a current diagnosis to support their claim and make sure they get the essential care they need.
Current diagnosis
If there is no written statement in the person's medical records and they believe that they have cirrhosis, the claim manager can help them get a current diagnosis from their clinician or GP. If they do get a current diagnosis, the claim manager will be able to confirm the person has cirrhosis.
Anyone with chronic hepatitis should receive regular testing for cirrhosis. If a person does currently have cirrhosis, they should also get regular monitoring for decompensated cirrhosis and liver cancer.
A current cirrhosis diagnosis will give the person access to healthcare advice and regular monitoring. They will also get the treatment they need to prevent their condition from getting worse, manage any complications, and improve their quality of life.
If a clear diagnosis is not available
The claim manager will work with one of IBCA's team of clinical advisors if:
- a medical professional is not able to provide a clear diagnosis
- they need to confirm when a person's infection severity level changed
- the claim is for a person who has died
In each case, the claim manager will look for other supporting information, including relevant symptoms, treatments and indicators in the person's medical records.
The claim manager will share this information with a clinical advisor. The clinical advisor will use this information to provide their specialist medical opinion on whether the person has cirrhosis or probably had cirrhosis before they died. The claim manager can then share this written opinion with the person claiming.
We take this approach because a cirrhosis diagnosis typically involves multiple indicators. The clinical advisor will provide their medical expertise based on all the information available about a person, including their medical history.