Psychometric properties of the PROMIS short form measures in a U.S. cohort of 961 patients with chronic hepatitis C prescribed direct acting antiviral therapy

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142957/1/apt14531.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142957/2/apt14531_am.pd

Barriers and facilitators to Hepatitis C (HCV) Screening and Treatment – A Prisoners’ Perspective

Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a global epidemic with an estimated 71 million people infected worldwide. People who inject drugs (PWID) are over represented in prison populations globally and have higher levels of HCV infection than the general population. Despite increased access to primary health care while in prison, many HCV infected prisoners do not engage with screening or treatment. With recent advances in treatment regimes, HCV in now a curable and preventable disease and prisons provide an ideal opportunity to engage this hard to reach population. Aim: To identify barriers and enablers to HCV screening and treatment in prisons Methods: A qualitative study of four prisoner focus groups (n=46) conducted at two prison settings in Dublin, Ireland. Results: The following barriers to HCV screening and treatment were identified, lack of knowledge, concerns regarding confidentiality and stigma experienced and inconsistent and delayed access to prison health services. Enablers identified included; access to health care, opt-out screening at committal, peer support, and stability of prison life which removed many of the competing priorities associated with life on the outside. Unique blocks and enablers to HCV treatment reported were, fear of treatment and having a liver biopsy, the requirement to go to hospital and in-reach hepatology services and fibroscaning. Conclusion; The many barriers and enablers to HCV screening and treatment reported by Irish prisoners will inform both national and international public health HCV elimination strategies. Incarceration provides a unique opportunity to upscale HCV treatment and linkage to the community would support effectiveness

Hepatitis C remains leading indication for listings and receipt of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

© 2019 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Background and aims: With the availability of direct acting antivirals (DAA) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has evolved as the leading indication for listing and receipt of liver transplantation (LT) followed by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and HCV infection. However, data are limited on etiology specific trends on listings and need for LT for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We analyzed UNOS database to examine etiology specific listings and receipt of LT for patients with and without HCC. Listings and receipt of LT in the pre-DAA (2007–2012) era were compared to the DAA (2013–2018) era. Results: The analysis shows that among patients without HCV, there is a decreasing trend on the proportion of patients listed and transplanted for HCV, with simultaneous increase on listings and LT for NASH and ALD. Specifically for listings and transplants for HCC, the leading etiology remains HCV infection followed by NASH and ALD. The analysis also showed that LT for AH contributes to about 20% of increase in listings and receipt of LT for ALD