Explore Indian HCP perceptions of MASLD treatment, MASH therapies, NITs, biomarkers, HCC management and AI in hepatology.
Hepatology is moving into a new phase of clinical innovation, driven by advances in MASLD treatment, MASH/MASLD therapies, non-invasive tests in hepatology, biomarkers, personalized medicine in hepatology and artificial intelligence.
For healthcare professionals, the challenge is no longer simply identifying liver disease. Increasingly, the focus is on identifying patients at risk of progression, stratifying fibrosis without unnecessary invasive procedures, selecting appropriate therapies and integrating technology into clinical workflows.
To understand how clinicians perceive these changes, a survey of 25 HCPs in India assessed perspectives on treatment innovation, MASH/MASLD therapies, non-invasive tests in hepatology (NITs), liver disease biomarkers, personalized medicine, HCC management, AI and digital health, implementation barriers and the future of hepatology.
The results point to a healthcare landscape that is highly receptive to innovation but still constrained by access, delayed diagnosis and implementation challenges.
Need for continued innovation rated very high/high.
Current treatment options considered partially adequate.
Biomarkers, NITs and personalized medicine rated extremely/very important.
Digital health and AI considered likely/very likely to improve outcomes.
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Get in TouchThe survey findings point toward earlier risk stratification, more targeted disease modification, non-invasive diagnostics, personalized care, digital support and stronger integration across hepatology workflows.
Identify patients at risk of progression and fibrosis without relying exclusively on invasive assessment.
Use emerging MASH/MASLD therapies for appropriately selected patients alongside metabolic and lifestyle management.
Expand non-invasive approaches for fibrosis assessment, risk stratification and treatment monitoring.
Connect disease severity, fibrosis risk and patient characteristics to more individualized care pathways.
Support clinical decision-making, imaging analysis, patient identification, monitoring and workflow automation.
Connect diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment selection and monitoring into scalable clinical pathways.
The findings show strong receptiveness to innovation, with particular emphasis on disease-modifying MASH/MASLD therapies, biomarkers, NITs, personalized medicine and AI-enabled care.
Need for continued innovation rated very high/high.
Biomarkers, NITs and personalized medicine considered extremely/very important.
Outlook for hepatology over the next decade is optimistic/very optimistic.
| Q# | Survey Question | Primary Objective | Most Common Response | % of HCPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How important is continued innovation in hepatology? | Assess unmet need and demand for innovation | Very High / High | 92% |
| 2 | How adequate are current hepatology treatment options? | Assess perceived treatment gaps | Partially adequate | 80% |
| 3 | Which advancement has had the greatest impact on hepatology over the past 5 years? | Identify perceived key innovations | Disease-modifying therapies, particularly in MASH/MASLD | 44% |
| 4 | How important are biomarkers, NITs and personalized medicine in hepatology? | Assess importance of precision/risk-stratification approaches | Extremely / Very important | 88% |
| 5 | Do you expect adoption of novel therapies, NITs and AI/digital health to expand? | Assess expectations for future adoption | Yes | 84% |
| 6 | What are the greatest barriers to implementation of advances in hepatology? | Identify implementation challenges | Cost/access and delayed diagnosis | 60% |
| 7 | How likely are digital health and AI to improve hepatology outcomes? | Assess perceived impact of digital innovation | Likely / Very likely | 76% |
| 8 | What is your outlook for hepatology over the next decade? | Assess future confidence | Optimistic / very optimistic | 88% |
The findings indicate a strong perceived need for continued innovation across hepatology, including advances in MASLD management, MASH treatment, diagnostics and HCC management.
The fact that 80% of HCPs consider current treatment options partially adequate suggests that significant unmet needs remain despite advances in hepatology. This is particularly relevant to progressive metabolic liver disease, where treatment increasingly requires both metabolic risk management and disease-specific intervention.
Disease-modifying therapies in MASH/MASLD were the most frequently selected advancement. This reflects the increasing clinical importance of disease-modifying therapies in MASH, designed to address disease progression rather than focusing exclusively on managing metabolic risk factors. The emergence of pharmacologic options for appropriately selected patients has also increased the importance of accurate fibrosis assessment and patient identification.
The strong response highlights the growing role of liver disease biomarkers, non-invasive tests in hepatology and personalized medicine in hepatology. For clinicians, these approaches can support earlier identification of patients at increased risk of fibrosis and help determine which patients require further investigation or specialist management.
The majority of respondents expect adoption of novel therapies, NITs and AI/digital health to expand. This suggests that hepatology is likely to become increasingly technology-enabled, with diagnostic and therapeutic innovation developing alongside digital clinical workflows.
The findings highlight an important gap between innovation and implementation. New MASH/MASLD therapies, biomarkers and non-invasive tests in hepatology can only improve outcomes when patients can access appropriate diagnostics and treatment at the right stage of disease.
The results indicate strong HCP confidence in the potential of AI in hepatology and digital health to improve outcomes. Potential applications include clinical decision support, risk stratification, imaging analysis, patient identification, longitudinal monitoring and workflow automation. However, successful adoption will depend on clinical validation, interoperability, usability and integration into existing care pathways.
The overwhelmingly positive outlook suggests that clinicians anticipate continued progress across therapeutics, diagnostics, precision medicine and digital health.
The survey identifies disease-modifying therapies, particularly in MASH/MASLD, as the most frequently selected advancement over the past five years.
This reflects the increasing clinical importance of disease-modifying therapies in MASH, designed to address disease progression rather than focusing exclusively on managing metabolic risk factors.
At the same time, accurate fibrosis assessment and patient identification are becoming increasingly important as treatment options evolve. Non-invasive tests in hepatology and biomarkers can support risk stratification and more efficient clinical pathways.
The broader innovation agenda also includes HCC management, personalized medicine, digital health and AI, creating opportunities across pharmaceuticals, biotech, MedTech and healthcare technology.
Disease-modifying therapies, particularly in MASH/MASLD, were identified as the most important advancement by 44% of respondents.
HCC systemic/combination treatment was selected by 20% of respondents, highlighting continued progress in liver cancer treatment.
NITs and fibrosis risk stratification were selected by 16%, reinforcing the growing role of non-invasive assessment in hepatology.
While new therapies, diagnostics and technologies continue to emerge, implementation barriers can prevent innovations from delivering their intended real-world benefits.
76% of surveyed HCPs believe digital health and AI are likely or very likely to improve hepatology outcomes.
The major opportunity is to use technology to solve specific clinical problems, including risk stratification, imaging analysis, patient identification and longitudinal monitoring.
The potential applications of AI in hepatology and digital health include:
However, digital health and AI should not be presented as established standards of care across all applications. Adoption, clinical validation, interoperability, usability and integration into existing care pathways will determine how quickly these technologies move into routine hepatology care.
The findings point toward several major changes likely to influence the future of hepatology.
The strong response around NITs and biomarkers indicates that clinicians increasingly value tools that can identify fibrosis risk without relying exclusively on invasive assessment.
The prominence of MASH/MASLD therapies among respondents indicates a shift toward disease-modifying approaches.
As treatment options evolve, MASLD treatment will increasingly depend on identifying appropriate patients, understanding fibrosis severity and integrating pharmacologic intervention with metabolic and lifestyle management.
With 76% of respondents viewing AI and digital health as likely or very likely to improve outcomes, technology is expected to become a stronger component of hepatology care.
Advances in HCC management, including systemic and combination treatment strategies, are expanding therapeutic options for liver cancer.
The strategic opportunity is to connect diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment selection and monitoring into a more integrated hepatology ecosystem.
The survey reveals three interconnected priorities for the next generation of hepatology management: earlier and better risk stratification, more targeted disease modification and digitally enabled hepatology.
The broader hepatology landscape is moving toward a risk-based and increasingly personalized care model. Healthcare and life-sciences organizations can increasingly contribute through NIT and biomarker platforms, patient identification, clinical decision-support technologies, AI-enabled imaging and analytics, real-world evidence, patient monitoring solutions, personalized treatment pathways and digital engagement.
“The strategic opportunity is to connect diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment selection and monitoring into a more integrated hepatology ecosystem.”
Blood-based risk scores, elastography and other non-invasive technologies can help create more efficient pathways for identifying patients who require specialist evaluation.
The prominence of MASH/MASLD therapies indicates a shift toward disease-modifying approaches and more precise patient selection.
Clinically validated tools could improve risk prediction, imaging analysis, patient identification, monitoring, workflow automation and decision support.
With 60% identifying cost/access and delayed diagnosis as the leading implementation barriers, sustainable real-world adoption remains central to treatment impact.
The perceptions of 25 Indian HCPs point toward a hepatology landscape undergoing meaningful transformation.
With 92% reporting a high or very high need for continued innovation, 44% identifying disease-modifying MASH/MASLD therapies as the most important recent advancement, and 88% emphasizing biomarkers, NITs and personalized medicine, the direction of clinical practice is increasingly clear.
At the same time, 84% expect adoption of emerging therapies, NITs and AI/digital health to expand, while 76% believe AI and digital health are likely or very likely to improve outcomes.
The central challenge remains implementation. Cost, access and delayed diagnosis could limit the impact of otherwise promising innovations.
The next decade of hepatology is therefore likely to be defined by the convergence of MASLD treatment, MASH/MASLD therapies, non-invasive diagnostics, liver disease biomarkers, personalized medicine and AI-enabled care—with successful adoption depending on how effectively these innovations can be translated into accessible, scalable clinical pathways.
Understand how Indian healthcare professionals view MASLD treatment, MASH/MASLD therapies, NITs, biomarkers, HCC management, AI, implementation barriers and the future of hepatology.
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