The panel’s draft statement will be posted on the Consensus Development Program Web site for public download on the evening of October 22, 2008. Final conference statements are usually available online 4–6 weeks after a conference, and printed copies are typically mailed 4–6 months later.

An impartial, independent panel is charged with reviewing the available published literature in advance of the conference, including a systematic literature review. At the conference, subject matter experts will present current findings related to the management of hepatitis B, and several open discussion periods will allow attendees to interact with the speakers. After assessing the scientific evidence, the unbiased, independent panel will present a statement of its collective assessment of the evidence to address each of the key conference questions, including suggested directions for future research.