Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) measured the effect of chronic hepatitis B on patients' quality of life, beyond just the physical symptoms of the disease. They developed a new tool to improve assessment of  patients' overall well-being, which may help in treatment decision-making. The questionnaire measures several aspects of quality of life e.g. psychological well-being, anxiety, vitality, disease stigma, vulnerability and transmissibility.

Principal investigator,  Dr. Brennan Spiegel, said "We were shocked to find that for many hepatitis B patients without advanced liver disease, the psychosocial impact of the disease affected their lives more than the physical symptoms".

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