Patient preference and willingness to pay for transient elastography versus liver biopsy: A perspective from British Columbia.

Background: The cost of liver biopsy (LB) is publicly funded in British Columbia, while the cost of transient elastography (FibroScan [FS], Echosens, France) is not. Consequently, there is regional variation regarding FS access and monitoring of liver disease progression.

Objective: To evaluate patient preference for FS versus LB and to assess the willingness to self-pay for FS.