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Tian F, Forouzannia F, Feng Z, Biondi MJ, Mendlowitz AB, Feld JJ, Sander B, Wong WWL. Feasibility of hepatitis C elimination by screening and treatment alone in high-income countries. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00748. [PMID: 38478751 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Despite the availability of highly effective direct-acting antiviral therapy, chronic hepatitis C (CHC) continues to cause a major public health burden. In many high-income countries, treatment rates have been declining, which was exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening the ability to meet the World Health Organization (WHO)'s targets for eliminating HCV as a public health threat by 2030. We sought to model the impact of CHC in Canada, a resource-rich country with ongoing immigration from HCV-endemic regions; which relies exclusively on risk-based screening for case identification. APPROACH AND RESULTS We developed an agent-based model to characterize the HCV epidemic in a high-income country with ongoing immigration. Combinations of prevention such as harm reduction, screening, and treatment strategies were considered. Model parameters were estimated from the literature and calibrated against historical HCV data. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess uncertainty. Under the current status quo of risk-based screening, we predict the incidence of CHC-induced decompensated cirrhosis, HCC, and liver-related deaths would decrease by 79.4%, 76.1%, and 62.1%, respectively, between 2015 and 2030, but CHC incidence would only decrease by 11.1%. The results were sensitive to HCV transmission rate and an annual number of people initiating treatment. CONCLUSIONS Current risk-based screening, and subsequent treatment, will be inadequate to achieve WHO goals. With extensive scale-up in screening, and treatment, the mortality target may be achievable, but the target for preventing new CHC cases is unlikely reachable, highlighting the importance of developing enhanced harm-reduction strategies for HCV elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Tian
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Zeny Feng
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mia J Biondi
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- School of Nursing, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew B Mendlowitz
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative (THETA), University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jordan J Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beate Sander
- Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative (THETA), University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - William W L Wong
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative (THETA), University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Doica IP, Turcu-Stiolica A, Ungureanu BS, Florescu DN, Rogoveanu I, Gheonea DI. Association between Direct-Acting Agents Adherence and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Hepatitis C. CURRENT HEALTH SCIENCES JOURNAL 2023; 49:312-318. [PMID: 38314219 PMCID: PMC10832866 DOI: 10.12865/chsj.49.03.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
This observational study included all patients undergoing HCV treatment with direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based therapy between May 2020 and September 2023 at the Dolj County Hospital, Romania. The aim was to investigate adherence to DAAs among HCV patients and the effect of this treatment on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Chronic HCV-infected patients were prospectively evaluated at baseline (T0), before the beginning of treatment, and 12 weeks after completing DAAs treatment (T1). The HCV-AD10 questionnaire was used to measure DAAs adherence, and HRQoL was assessed with the 15D instrument. The 15D questionnaire was administered at two time points: T0 and T1, during which the Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) was also measured. The primary outcome was DAAs adherence, with secondary outcomes including quality of life (QoL), and sustained virologic response (SVR). DAAs based therapy was initiated for 368 patients, all of whom were health insured. HRQoL and psychological state of HCV patients clinically improved. The DAAs adherence was very good (mean±SD, 91.51±8.34), being influenced by age (younger patients were much adherent, rho=-0.112, p-value=0.031) and the severity of the disease (patients with more severe hepatitis were less adherent, rho=-0.167, p-value=0.001). DAAs had a significant effect on improving HRQoL of HCV patients, but did not influence medication adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Paula Doica
- Gastroenterology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
| | - Adina Turcu-Stiolica
- Pharmacoeconomics Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
| | | | - Dan Nicolae Florescu
- Gastroenterology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
| | - Ion Rogoveanu
- Gastroenterology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
| | - Dan-Ionuț Gheonea
- Gastroenterology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
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Country versus pharmaceutical company interests for hepatitis C treatment. Health Care Manag Sci 2022; 25:725-749. [PMID: 36001218 PMCID: PMC9399601 DOI: 10.1007/s10729-022-09607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the leading causes of liver disease and is responsible for massive health and economic burden worldwide. The disease is asymptomatic in its early stages, but it can progress over time to fatal end-stage liver disease. Thus, the majority of individuals infected with HCV are unaware of their chronic condition. Recent treatment options for HCV can completely cure the infection but are costly. We developed a game model between a pharmaceutical company (PC) and a country striving to maximize its citizens' utility. First, the PC determines the price of HCV treatment; then, the country responds with corresponding screening and treatment strategies. We employed an analytical framework to calculate the utility of the players for each selected strategy. Calibrated to detailed HCV data from Israel, we found that the PC will gain higher revenue by offering a quantity discount rather than using standard fixed pricing per treatment, by indirectly forcing the country to conduct more screening than it desired. By contrast, risk-sharing agreements, in which the country pays only for successful treatments are beneficial for the country. Our findings underscore that policy makers worldwide should prudently consider recent offers by PCs to increase screening either directly, via covering HCV screening, or indirectly, by providing discounts following a predetermined volume of sales. More broadly, our approach is applicable in other healthcare settings where screening is essential to determine treatment strategies.
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Lanièce Delaunay C, Maheu-Giroux M, Marathe G, Saeed S, Martel-Laferrière V, Cooper CL, Walmsley S, Cox J, Wong A, Klein MB. Gaps in hepatitis C virus prevention and care for HIV-hepatitis C virus co-infected people who inject drugs in Canada. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 103:103627. [PMID: 35218989 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) living with HIV are a priority population for eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health threat. Maximizing access to HCV prevention and treatment strategies are key steps towards elimination. We aimed to evaluate engagement in harm reduction programs and HCV treatment, and to describe injection practices among HIV-HCV co-infected PWID in Canada from 2003 to 2019. METHODS We included Canadian Coinfection Cohort study participants who reported injecting drugs between 2003 and 2019 in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, Canada. We investigated temporal trends in HCV treatment uptake, efficacy, and effectiveness; injection practices; and engagement in harm reduction programs in three time periods based on HCV treatment availability: 1) interferon/ribavirin (2003-2010); 2) first-generation direct acting antivirals (DAAs) (2011-2013); 3) second-generation DAAs (2014-2019). Harm reduction services assessed included needle and syringe programs (NSP), opioid agonist therapy (OAT), and supervised injection sites (SIS). RESULTS Median age of participants (N = 1,077) at cohort entry was 44 years; 69% were males. Province-specific HCV treatment rates increased among HCV RNA-positive PWID, reaching 16 to 31 per 100 person-years in 2014-2019. Treatment efficacy improved from a 50 to 70% range in 2003-2010 to >90% across provinces in 2014-2019. Drug injecting patterns among active PWID varied by province, with an overall decrease in cocaine injection frequency and increasing opioid injections. In the most recent time period (2014-2019), needle/syringe sharing was reported at 8-22% of visits. Gaps remained in engagement in harm reduction programs: NSP use decreased (58-70% of visits), OAT engagement among opioid users was low (8-26% of visits), and participants rarely used SIS (1-15% of visits). CONCLUSION HCV treatment uptake and outcomes have improved among HIV-HCV coinfected PWID. Yet, this population remains exposed to drug-related harms, highlighting the need to tie HCV elimination strategies with enhanced harm reduction programs to improve overall health for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Lanièce Delaunay
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1020 Avenue des Pins Ouest, H3A 1A2, Montreal QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 5252 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest, H4A 3S5, Montreal QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Maheu-Giroux
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1020 Avenue des Pins Ouest, H3A 1A2, Montreal QC, Canada
| | - Gayatri Marathe
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1020 Avenue des Pins Ouest, H3A 1A2, Montreal QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 5252 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest, H4A 3S5, Montreal QC, Canada
| | - Sahar Saeed
- Institute for Public Health, Washington University, 600 S Taylor Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Valérie Martel-Laferrière
- Département de Médecine Spécialisée et de Médecine des Laboratoires, Centre Hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal, 264 Boulevard René-Lévesque Est, H2×1P1, Montreal QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint-Denis, H2×0A9, Montreal QC, Canada; Département de Microbiologie, Maladies Infectieuses, et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Monpetit, H3T 1J4, Montreal QC, Canada
| | - Curtis L Cooper
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 725 Parkdale Avenue, K1Y 4E9, Ottawa ON, Canada
| | - Sharon Walmsley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 6 Queen's Park Crescent West, M5S 3H2, Toronto ON, Canada; University Health Network, University of Toronto, 190 Elizabeth Street, M5G 2C4, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Joseph Cox
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1020 Avenue des Pins Ouest, H3A 1A2, Montreal QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and Chronic Viral Illness Service, McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Boulevard Décarie, H4A 3J1, Montreal QC, Canada
| | - Alexander Wong
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, S7N 5E5, Saskatoon SK, Canada
| | - Marina B Klein
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1020 Avenue des Pins Ouest, H3A 1A2, Montreal QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and Chronic Viral Illness Service, McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Boulevard Décarie, H4A 3J1, Montreal QC, Canada; Canadian HIV Trials Network, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 588-1081 Burrard Street, V6Z 1Y6, Vancouver BC, Canada.
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Pearce ME, Jongbloed K, Demerais L, MacDonald H, Christian WM, Sharma R, Pick N, Yoshida EM, Spittal PM, Klein MB. "Another thing to live for": Supporting HCV treatment and cure among Indigenous people impacted by substance use in Canadian cities. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 74:52-61. [PMID: 31525640 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colonization and colonial systems have led to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people impacted by substance use and HCV infection in Canada. It is critical to ensure Indigenous people's equitable access to new direct acting antiviral HCV treatments (DAAs). Identifying culturally-safe, healing-centered approaches that support the wellbeing of Indigenous people living with HCV is an essential step toward this goal. We listened to the stories and perspectives of HCV-affected Indigenous people and HCV treatment providers with the aim of providing pragmatic recommendations for decolonizing HCV care. METHODS Forty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out with Indigenous participants affected by HCV from the Cedar Project (n = 20, British Columbia (BC)) and the Canadian Coinfection Cohort (n = 25, BC; Ontario (ON); Saskatchewan (SK)). In addition, 10 HCV treatment providers were interviewed (n = 4 BC, n = 4 ON, n = 2 SK). Interpretive description identified themes to inform clinical approaches and public health HCV care. Themes and related recommendations were validated by Indigenous health experts and Indigenous participants prior to coding and re-contextualization. RESULTS Taken together, participants' stories and perceptions were interpreted to coalesce into three overarching and interdependent themes representing their recommendations. First: treatment providers must understand and accept colonization as a determinant of health and wellness among HCV-affected Indigenous people, including ongoing cycles of child apprehension and discrimination within the healthcare system. Second: consistently safe attitudes and actions create trust within HCV treatment provider-patient relationships and open opportunities for engagement into care. Third: treatment providers who identify, build, and strengthen circles of care will have greater success engaging HCV-affected Indigenous people who have used drugs into care. CONCLUSION There are several pragmatic ways to integrate Truth and Reconciliation as well as Indigenous concepts of whole-person wellness into the HCV cascade of care. By doing so, HCV treatment providers have an opportunity to create greater equity and support long-term wellness of Indigenous patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Pearce
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian HIV Trials Network, 588-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - K Jongbloed
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - L Demerais
- Cree/Métis, Vancouver Native Health Society, 449 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1P5, Canada
| | - H MacDonald
- Mamoo Naakiiwin, P.O. Box #573, Matheson, ON P0K 1N0, Canada
| | - W M Christian
- Splatsin Secwepemc Nation, 5775 Old Vernon Rd, Enderby, BC V0E 1V3, Canada.
| | - R Sharma
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - N Pick
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian HIV Trials Network, 588-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 2733 Heather Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 3J5, Canada.
| | - E M Yoshida
- University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Gastroenterology, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - P M Spittal
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - M B Klein
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian HIV Trials Network, 588-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Department of Medicine/Division of Infectious Diseases, McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Blvd, D02.4110, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Makarenko I, Artenie A, Hoj S, Minoyan N, Jacka B, Zang G, Barlett G, Jutras-Aswad D, Martel-Laferriere V, Bruneau J. Transitioning from interferon-based to direct antiviral treatment options: A potential shift in barriers and facilitators of treatment initiation among people who use drugs? THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 72:69-76. [PMID: 31010749 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple barriers for accessing hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment were identified during the interferon-based (IFN) treatment era for people who inject drugs (PWID). Whether these barriers persist since the introduction of IFN-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents in Canada remains to be documented. This study examined temporal trends in HCV treatment initiation and associated factors during the transition from INF-based to all-oral DAA regimens. METHODS The study population was drawn from a prospective cohort of PWID in Montreal, Canada. At three-month/one-year intervals between 2011 and 2017, participants with chronic HCV infection completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, drug use and health service utilisation, including HCV treatment. Time-updated Cox multivariate regression models, stratified by DAA + INF (2011-2013) and all-oral DAA (2014-2017) availability periods, were conducted to examine associations between time to HCV treatment initiation and associated barriers and facilitators. RESULTS Of 308 participants (85% male, median age 42 [IQR: 33, 50]), 80 (26%) initiated HCV treatment during 915 person-years (PY). Incidence rates increased from 1.6 /100 PY (95%CI:0.9-2.6) in 2011 to 12.7 (10.6-15.1) in 2017 (p-trend = 0.0012). In multivariate analyses, visiting a primary care physician (2011-2013: aHR = 3.63[1.21-10.9]; 2014-2017: 2.52[1.10-5.77]) and frequent injection (0.23[0.05-0.99] and 0.49[0.24-0.99]) were consistently associated with treatment initiation. Participants aged >40 (2.27[1.24-4.13]), receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) (2.17[1.19-3.94]), and reporting prior HCV treatment (3.00[1.75-5.15]) were more likely to initiate treatment in the all-oral DAA period. CONCLUSION Treatment initiation increased between 2011 and 2017, but still remains low among PWID. Primary care visiting was a key facilitator regardless of the period, while engagement in OAT and health services, indicated by prior HCV treatment, increased the likelihood of treatment initiation in the DAA era. These findings suggest that access to health services is essential but not enough to scale up treatment in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Makarenko
- McGill University, Department of Family Medicine, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Adelina Artenie
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Stine Hoj
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Brendan Jacka
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Geng Zang
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gillian Barlett
- McGill University, Department of Family Medicine, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Valerie Martel-Laferriere
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Høj SB, Jacka B, Minoyan N, Artenie AA, Bruneau J. Conceptualising access in the direct-acting antiviral era: An integrated framework to inform research and practice in HCV care for people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 72:11-23. [PMID: 31003825 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy costs fall and eligibility criteria are relaxed, people who inject drugs (PWID) will increasingly become eligible for HCV treatment. Yet eligibility does not necessarily equate to access. Amidst efforts to expand treatment uptake in this population, we seek to synthesise and clarify the conceptual underpinnings of access to health care for PWID, with a view to informing research and practice. Integrating dominant frameworks of health service utilisation, care seeking processes, and ecological perspectives on health promotion, we present a comprehensive theoretical framework to understand, investigate and intervene upon barriers and facilitators to HCV care for PWID. Built upon the concept of Candidacy, the framework describes access to care as a continually negotiated product of the alignment between individuals, health professionals, and health systems. Individuals must identify themselves as candidates for services and then work to stake this claim; health professionals serve as gatekeepers, adjudicating asserted candidacies within the context of localised operating conditions; and repeated interactions build experiential knowledge and patient-practitioner relationships, influencing identification and assertion of candidacy over time. These processes occur within a complex social ecology of interdependent individual, service, system, and policy factors, on which other established theories provide guidance. There is a pressing need for a deliberate and nuanced theory of health care access to complement efforts to document the HCV 'cascade of care' among PWID. We offer this framework as an organising device for observational research, intervention, and implementation science to expand access to HCV care in this vulnerable population. Using practical examples from the HCV literature, we demonstrate its utility for specifying research questions and intervention targets across multiple levels of influence; describing and testing plausible effect mechanisms; and identifying potential threats to validity or barriers to research translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Bordier Høj
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada.
| | - Brendan Jacka
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada; École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montréal, Québec, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Andreea Adelina Artenie
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada; École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montréal, Québec, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada; Département de Médicine Familiale et Médecine d'Urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Holeksa J, Magel T, Conway B. HCV elimination and the opioid crisis – joint epidemics, joint solutions: results of a pilot program. Future Virol 2019. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2018-0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aim: People who use drugs in Canada are disproportionately affected by both the HCV and opioid overdose epidemics. It is feasible to envision a solution to address both issues simultaneously. Methodology: A retrospective chart review of HCV-infected patients with a history of drug use was conducted. All patients enrolled at our center have access to multidisciplinary care to address medical, social, psychiatric and addictions-related needs in an integrated manner. Results: Since 2014, 337 individuals have initiated HCV treatment, in whom 30 medically significant overdoses have occurred, including three deaths. Conclusion: The model we have developed could be an ideal approach to address HCV, as well as respond to the opioid crisis, in a high-risk population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Holeksa
- Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, 201-1200 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2C7, Canada
| | - Tianna Magel
- Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, 201-1200 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2C7, Canada
| | - Brian Conway
- Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, 201-1200 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2C7, Canada
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