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Clay S, Wilkinson Z, Ginley M, Arunogiri S, Christmass M, Membrey D, MacCartney P, Sutherland R, Colledge-Frisby S, Marshall AD, Nagle J, Degenhardt L, Farrell M, McKetin R. The reflections of health service providers on implementing contingency management for methamphetamine use disorder in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024. [PMID: 38704742 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Contingency management (CM) is the most effective treatment for reducing methamphetamine use. We sought to understand why CM has not been taken up to manage methamphetamine use disorder in Australia. METHODS Six focus groups (4-8 participants per group) were conducted with health workers from agencies in Australia that provided drug-related health care to people who use methamphetamine. These agencies had no previous experience delivering CM for substance use. The potential acceptability and feasibility of implementing CM in their services were discussed. RESULTS Participants felt that it would be beneficial to have an evidence-based treatment for methamphetamine use disorder. This sentiment was offset by concerns that CM conflicted with a client-centred harm-reduction approach and that it dictated the goal of treatment as abstinence. It was also perceived as potentially coercive and seen to reify the power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship and therefore potentially reinforce stigma. There was also concern about the public's perception and the political acceptability of CM, who would fund CM, and the inequity of providing incentives only to clients with a methamphetamine use disorder. Some concerns could be ameliorated if the goals and structure of CM could be tailored to a client's needs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Many healthcare workers were keen to offer CM as an effective treatment option for people with methamphetamine use disorder, but CM would need to be sufficiently flexible to allow it to be tailored to client needs and implemented in a way that did not adversely impact the therapeutic relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Clay
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Zachary Wilkinson
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Shalini Arunogiri
- Turning Point & Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Christmass
- Next Step Community Alcohol and Other Drugs Service, Mental Health Commission, Perth, Australia
| | | | | | - Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Samantha Colledge-Frisby
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jack Nagle
- Connections Based Living, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca McKetin
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Valerio H, Marshall AD, Conway A, Treloar C, Carter L, Martinello M, Henderson C, Amin J, Read P, Silk D, Degenhardt L, Prain B, Alavi M, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Factors associated with hepatitis C testing, treatment, and current hepatitis C infection among men and women who inject drugs: The ETHOS engage study. Int J Drug Policy 2024; 127:104394. [PMID: 38608357 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evaluating gender-specific trends in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake among men and women who inject drugs is crucial for ensuring equitable progress towards HCV elimination. This study aimed to quantify differences in testing, treatment, and current HCV infection between men and women who inject drugs. METHOD ETHOS Engage is an observational cohort study of people who inject drugs attending drug treatment clinics and needle and syringe programs in Australia recruited from May 2018-September 2019 (wave 1) and November 2019-April 2021 (wave 2). Participants completed a questionnaire including self-reported HCV testing and treatment history and underwent point-of-care HCV RNA testing (Xpert® HCV Viral Load Fingerstick). Logistic regression was used to compare the factors associated with self-reported HCV testing and treatment and current HCV infection for men and women who inject drugs. RESULTS Among 2,395 participants enrolled in ETHOS Engage, 66% (n = 1,591) were men, 33% (n = 786) women, and <1% (n = 18) did not identify as a man or woman. HCV testing history and current infection were similar among men and women. Among men or women ever eligible for HCV treatment (ever chronic HCV) (n = 1,242), women were less likely to report a history of HCV treatment compared to men (227/352, 64% vs. 631/890, 71%; p = 0.03). Among women, those aged <45 were less likely to report HCV testing (aOR: 0.57, 95%CI: 0.36, 0.90), treatment (aOR: 0.47, 95%CI: 0.29, 0.77), and more likely to have HCV infection (aOR: 1.48, 95%CI: 1.00, 2.20) CONCLUSION: Among women, those of childbearing age (<45) were less likely to report testing and treatment and were more likely to have current HCV infection. Women <45 years old should be a priority population for HCV care. Services that interface with these women should be optimised to enhance HCV testing and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Valerio
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa Carter
- Hepatitis SA, Hackney, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marianne Martinello
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Phillip Read
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Kirketon Road Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Silk
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bianca Prain
- Population Health Strategy & Performance, NSW Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maryam Alavi
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Marshall AD, Willing AR, Kairouz A, Cunningham EB, Wheeler A, O'Brien N, Perera V, Ward JW, Hiebert L, Degenhardt L, Hajarizadeh B, Colledge S, Hickman M, Jawad D, Lazarus JV, Matthews GV, Scheibe A, Vickerman P, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Direct-acting antiviral therapies for hepatitis C infection: global registration, reimbursement, and restrictions. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 9:366-382. [PMID: 38367631 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(23)00335-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have delivered high response rates (>95%) and simplified the management of HCV treatment, permitting non-specialists to manage patients without advanced liver disease. We collected and reviewed global data on the registration and reimbursement (government subsidised) of HCV therapies, including restrictions on reimbursement. Primary data collection occurred between Nov 15, 2021, and July 24, 2023, through the assistance of a global network of 166 HCV experts. We retrieved data for 160 (77%) of 209 countries and juristrictions. By mid-2023, 145 (91%) countries had registered at least one of the following DAA therapies: sofosbuvir-velpatasvir, sofosbuvir-velpatasvir-voxilaprevir, glecaprevir-pibrentasvir, sofosbuvir-daclatasvir, or sofosbuvir. 109 (68%) countries reimbursed at least one DAA therapy. Among 102 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), 89 (87%) had registered at least one HCV DAA therapy and 53 (52%) reimbursed at least one DAA therapy. Among all countries with DAA therapy reimbursement (n=109), 66 (61%) required specialist prescribing, eight (7%) had retreatment restrictions, seven (6%) had an illicit drug use restriction, five (5%) had an alcohol use restriction, and three (3%) had liver disease restrictions. Global access to DAA reimbursement remains uneven, with LMICs having comparatively low reimbursement compared with high-income countries. To meet WHO goals for HCV elimination, efforts should be made to assist countries, particularly LMICs, to increase access to DAA reimbursement and remove reimbursement restrictions-especially prescriber-type restrictions-to ensure universal access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Alex R Willing
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abe Kairouz
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alice Wheeler
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Lindsey Hiebert
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Behzad Hajarizadeh
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha Colledge
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Danielle Jawad
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (IS Global), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gail V Matthews
- Therapeutic and Vaccine Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Scheibe
- TB HIV Care, Cape Town, South Africa; Community Orientated, Primary Care Research Unit, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Gregory J Dore
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Cooke GS, Flower B, Cunningham E, Marshall AD, Lazarus JV, Palayew A, Jia J, Aggarwal R, Al-Mahtab M, Tanaka Y, Jeong SH, Poovorawan K, Waked I, Hiebert L, Khue PM, Grebely J, Alcantara-Payawal D, Sanchez-Avila JF, Mbendi C, Muljono DH, Lesi O, Desalegn H, Hamid S, de Araujo A, Cheinquer H, Onyekwere CA, Malyuta R, Ivanchuk I, Thomas DL, Pimenov N, Chulanov V, Dirac MA, Han H, Ward JW. Progress towards elimination of viral hepatitis: a Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology Commission update. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 9:346-365. [PMID: 38367629 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(23)00321-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The top 20 highest burdened countries (in disability-adjusted life years) account for more than 75% of the global burden of viral hepatitis. An effective response in these 20 countries is crucial if global elimination targets are to be achieved. In this update of the Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology Commission on accelerating the elimination of viral hepatitis, we convene national experts from each of the top 20 highest burdened countries to provide an update on progress. Although the global burden of diseases is falling, progress towards elimination varies greatly by country. By use of a hepatitis elimination policy index conceived as part of the 2019 Commission, we measure countries' progress towards elimination. Progress in elimination policy has been made in 14 of 20 countries with the highest burden since 2018, with the most substantial gains observed in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Russia. Most improvements are attributable to the publication of formalised national action plans for the elimination of viral hepatitis, provision of publicly funded screening programmes, and government subsidisation of antiviral treatments. Key themes that emerged from discussion between national commissioners from the highest burdened countries build on the original recommendations to accelerate the global elimination of viral hepatitis. These themes include the need for simplified models of care, improved access to appropriate diagnostics, financing initiatives, and rapid implementation of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham S Cooke
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Barnaby Flower
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA; Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adam Palayew
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jidong Jia
- Liver Research Centre, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rakesh Aggarwal
- Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
| | - Mamum Al-Mahtab
- Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Yashuito Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Sook-Hyang Jeong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Kittiyod Poovorawan
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Thailand
| | - Imam Waked
- Hepatology Department, National Liver Institute, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
| | - Lindsey Hiebert
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Pham M Khue
- Faculty of Public Health, Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Viet Nam
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Diana Alcantara-Payawal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Fatima University Medical Center, Valenzuela, Philippines; Committee on Hepatology, Section of Gastroenterology, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, San Juan, Philippines
| | - Juan F Sanchez-Avila
- Global Health and Emerging Diseases Investigation Group, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Tecnologico de Monterrey Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Charles Mbendi
- Service of Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, University Clinic of Kinshasa, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasha, DR Congo
| | - David H Muljono
- Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia; Indonesian Academy of Sciences, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Olufunmilayo Lesi
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, College of Medicine, University of Lagos and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Hailemichael Desalegn
- Department of Internal Medicine, St Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Saeed Hamid
- Clinical Trials Unit, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Alexandre de Araujo
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Hugo Cheinquer
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Charles A Onyekwere
- Deparment Of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos, Nigeria
| | | | - Iryna Ivanchuk
- Department of Viral Hepatitis Control at National Institute of Public Health, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - David L Thomas
- Divison of Infectious Diseases, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nikolay Pimenov
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Mae Ashworth Dirac
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hannah Han
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA; Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Taha M, Hanif S, Dickson G, Todd J, Fyfe D, MacBride-Stewart S, Hassett R, Marshall AD, Heath CA. Utilisation of specialist epilepsy services and antiseizure medication adherence rates in a cohort of people with epilepsy (PWE) accessing emergency care. Seizure 2024; 115:59-61. [PMID: 38184899 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2023.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An epilepsy-related attendance at A&E is associated an increased risk of subsequent death within 6 months. Although further work is required to provide a definitive explanation to account for these findings, in the interim it would seem reasonable that services are designed to ensure timely access and provide support at a time of greatest risk. We aim to determine the frequency of patients accessing specialist neurology services following an epilepsy-related admission/unscheduled care episode and consider ASM adherence at the point of attendance. METHODS Patients were identified retrospectively via the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde live integrated epilepsy Dashboard following an unscheduled epilepsy-related admission or A&E attendance between 1st January 2022 and 30th June 2022. We calculated adherence to anti-seizure medication for a period of 6 months prior to admission and defined poor medication adherence as a medication possession ratio of less than 80 %. We evaluated the rate of any outpatient neurology clinic attendance in the subsequent 3, 6 and 12 months following an epilepsy-related unscheduled care episode. Additional clinical information was identified via the electronic patient records. RESULTS Between 1st Jan 2022 and 30th June 2022, there were 266 emergency care seizure-related attendances. The mean age at attendance was 46 years (range: 16-91). Most of PWE were males (63 %) and 37 % were females. Epilepsy classification-29.3 % had GGE, 41.7% had focal epilepsy, and in 29 % of cases the epilepsy was unclassified. Of the admissions, 107/ 266 (40.2 %) generated follow-up within 6 months of attendance. Poor medication adherence was noted in 54/266 (20.3 %). 28.2 % of cases had input from on-call neurology service during admission/ED attendance, and of those 60 % had ASM adjusted. 18 % of attendances had a background diagnosis of learning disability. One-third of attendances of PWE had a history of mental health disorder 35 % (93/266). 25 % of ED attendances noted an active history of alcohol consumption misuse or/and recreational drug use. 14 (5.5 %) of PWE died during the period of interest (12 months following the last ED visit). In 6/14 (42.3 %) death was associated with poor medication adherence. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that a significant proportion of patients who experienced seizure-related admissions/ attendance did not access specialist neurology services in a timely manner. In addition, poor medication adherence remains a problem for a substantial number of people living with epilepsy. Early access to specialist services may go some way to improving care and reducing excessive mortality in PWE by allowing anti-seizure medication to be titrated and poor medication adherence to be addressed in those at greatest risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Taha
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK.
| | - S Hanif
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
| | - G Dickson
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
| | - J Todd
- Information management, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
| | - D Fyfe
- Pharmacy Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
| | | | - R Hassett
- Pharmacy Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
| | - A D Marshall
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - C A Heath
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK
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Marshall AD, Mackay D, Heath CA. Specialist epilepsy service input following an epilepsy related unscheduled care episode. Seizure 2023; 112:15-17. [PMID: 37722242 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2023.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency and unplanned epilepsy-related attendances are associated with an increased risk of subsequent death within 6 months. Although further work is required to provide a definitive explanation to account for these findings, in the interim it would seem reasonable that services are designed to ensure timely access and provide support at a time of greatest risk. We aim to determine the frequency of patients with epilepsy (PWE) accessing specialist neurology services following an epilepsy-related admission/unscheduled care episode. METHODS Patients were included in the cohort if they had at least 1 prescription for an anti-seizure medication and at least one epilepsy-related admission, emergency department attendance, or outpatient neurology clinic attendance between January 2011 and November 2021. We evaluated the rate of any outpatient neurology clinic attendance in the subsequent 6 months following an epilepsy related unscheduled care episode. RESULTS Of the 6,449 PWE included in the cohort, 4,465 were included for analysis. At the end of the follow up period less than 40% were accessing specialist services within 6 months of an episode of admission/ unscheduled care episode. Around a third (31.1%) of deaths occurred within 6 months of an epilepsy-related admission, and in the majority of cases patients were not seen by an epilepsy specialist in the period between discharge and death. The frequency of mental health comorbidity in PWE accessing unscheduled care remains very high with almost 80% having a diagnosis of either depression or anxiety. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of PWE are not accessing specialist services in a timely manner following an episode of unscheduled care. Such provision may potentially provide an opportunity to reduce epilepsy related mortality by altering antiseizure medication doses and considering reversible factors associated with poor outcomes in PWE, such as poor medication adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
| | - D Mackay
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Scotland
| | - C A Heath
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland; School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, Scotland
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Cheng Q, Bajis S, Cunningham E, Shih STF, Schulz M, Marshall AD, Martin NK, Miners A, Hajarizadeh B, Wiseman V, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Health-related quality of life among people who inject drugs in Australia. Qual Life Res 2023; 32:3195-3207. [PMID: 37351701 PMCID: PMC10522523 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is limited research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people who inject drugs (PWID). We aimed to evaluate factors associated with HRQoL among a cohort of PWID in Australia. METHODS Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study (the LiveRLife Study) between 2014 and 2018 at 15 sites in Australia. They provided fingerstick whole-blood samples for point-of-care HCV RNA testing and underwent transient elastography to assess liver disease. Participants completed the EQ-5D-3L survey at enrolment. Regression models were used to assess the impact of clinical and socioeconomic characteristics on the EQ-5D-3L scores. RESULTS Among 751 participants (median age, 43 years; 67% male), 63% reported injection drug use in the past month, 43% had current HCV infection, and 68% had no/mild liver fibrosis (F0/F1). The mean EQ-5D-3L and EQ-VAS scores were 0.67 and 62, respectively, for the overall study population. There was no significant difference in the EQ-5D-3L scores among people with and without recent injecting drug use (mean: 0.66 vs. 0.68, median: 0.73 vs. 0.78, P = 0.405), and among people receiving and not receiving opioid agonist therapy (mean: 0.66 vs. 0.68, median: 0.73 vs. 0.76, P = 0.215). Participants who were employed were found to have the highest mean EQ-5D-3L (0.83) and EQ-VAS scores (77). The presence of current HCV infection, liver fibrosis stage, and high-risk alcohol consumption had little impact on HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS The study findings provide important HRQoL data for economic evaluations, useful for guiding the allocation of resources for HCV elimination strategies and interventions among PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinglu Cheng
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Evan Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sophy T F Shih
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Marcel Schulz
- St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alec Miners
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Behzad Hajarizadeh
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Virginia Wiseman
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Wallace Wurth Building, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Marshall AD, Leach JP, Mackay D, Heath CA. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a cohort of adults with epilepsy. Seizure 2023; 111:191-195. [PMID: 37678077 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with epilepsy in Glasgow. METHODS We used routinely collected data for a previously identified cohort of patients with epilepsy to evaluate access to scheduled and unscheduled care with quarterly rates of inpatient admissions, outpatient attendance and accident & emergency attendance calculated. Anti-seizure medication prescribing and persistence, incidence of anxiety and depression and deaths for a cohort of patients with epilepsy was evaluated prior to the pandemic in comparison to during the pandemic, from 2015 to 2021. RESULTS All-cause mortality and epilepsy related mortality showed a statistically significant reduction during the pandemic. Although overall rates of out-patient hospital attendance dropped during the early stages of the pandemic (and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021) epilepsy-related services saw maintenance of patient contact as a result of a rapid adoption of telephone clinics. A significant decrease in overall mortality was observed in PWE during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. COVID-19 was the single commonest cause of death in PWE during the pandemic (61/453) and 160 patients (3.7%) had at least 1 admission to hospital for COVID-19. Anti-seizure medication (ASM) prescribing remained rates remained stable during the pandemic. During the pandemic an average of 38.8% of cohort patients were treated for depression and 16.3% for anxiety per quarter, 8.2% and 12.4% of whom had not been previously treated for these conditions respectively. CONCLUSION We have shown that during a national lockdown, in the context of a pandemic, mortality in patients with epilepsy has reduced, while out-patient services were delivered remotely, primarily via the telephone. The reasons for this remain unclear but suggest that some of the excess mortality in people with epilepsy may be potentially avoidable by changes in lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK.
| | - J P Leach
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK; School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - D Mackay
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - C A Heath
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK; School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, UK
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Conway A, Krawczyk N, McGaffey F, Doyle S, Baaklini V, Marshall AD, Treloar C, Davis CS, Colledge-Frisby S, Grebely J, Cerdá M. Typology of laws restricting access to methadone treatment in the United States: A latent class analysis. Int J Drug Policy 2023; 119:104141. [PMID: 37540917 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the United States, methadone treatment for opioid use disorder is only available at opioid treatment programs (OTPs). In addition to federal regulations, states can enact laws which shape access to OTPs. We aimed to define classes of states according to restrictiveness of state OTP laws and examine population characteristics associated with class membership. METHODS A set of laws was extracted from a database of statutes and regulations governing OTPs in 49 states and the District of Columbia as of June 2021. Latent class analysis of laws was used to estimate the probability of class membership for each state. Class-weighted multinomial logistic regression analysis assessed state-level correlates of class membership and adjusted Relative Risk Ratio (aRRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were generated. RESULTS States (n = 50) were assigned to three classes; Class 1) High restrictiveness on patient experience, low restrictiveness on access to service (n = 13); Class 2) Medium restrictiveness on patient experience, high restrictiveness on access to service (n = 14); Class 3) Low restrictiveness on patient experience, low restrictiveness on access to service (n = 23). States with a higher probability of membership in Classes with higher restrictiveness had higher rates of unemployment (Class 1 vs Class 3, aRRR:1.24; 95%CI:1.06-1.45), and Black residents (Class 2 vs Class 3, aRRR:1.10; 95%CI:1.04-1.15), and lower likelihood of Medicaid coverage of methadone (Class 1 vs Class 3, aRRR:0.25; 95%CI:0.07-0.88). States with a higher probability of membership in Classes with higher restrictiveness also had higher rates of potential indicators for opioid use disorder treatment need, including rates of opioid dispensing (Class 1 vs Class 3, aRRR:1.06; 95%CI:1.02-1.10, Class 2 vs Class 3, aRRR:1.07; 95%CI:1.03-1.11) and HIV diagnoses attributed to injection (Class 1 vs Class 3, aRRR:3.92; 95%CI:1.25-12.22). CONCLUSIONS States with indicators of greater potential need for opioid use disorder treatment have the most restrictions, raising concerns about unmet treatment need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Noa Krawczyk
- Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Sheri Doyle
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, United States
| | | | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Corey S Davis
- Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Network for Public Health Law, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Samantha Colledge-Frisby
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Magdalena Cerdá
- Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Clay S, Wilkinson Z, Ginley M, Arunogiri S, Christmass M, Membrey D, MacCartney P, Sutherland R, Colledge-Frisby S, Marshall AD, Nagle J, Degenhardt L, Farrell M, McKetin R. Perspectives and sentiments on contingency management from people who use methamphetamine. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:1427-1437. [PMID: 37248676 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Contingency management (CM) is currently the most efficacious treatment for methamphetamine use, yet it is rarely available in routine care. We examined the viewpoints of people who use methamphetamine on CM as a potential treatment for methamphetamine use disorder. METHODS Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 30 Australians aged 18 years or older who had used methamphetamine at least weekly in the past 6 months. RESULTS Participants reported overall positive attitudes towards CM as a potential treatment option for methamphetamine use disorder. However, there was need for greater flexibility in meeting participant treatment goals (e.g., reduced use or complete abstinence), with particular concern about the viability of initiating abstinence, both in terms of the sufficiency of the initial financial incentive and managing withdrawal symptoms. There was strong interest in the use of digital technologies to provide remote CM, particularly around the convenience and flexibility this offered. Despite this, participants remained keen to access adjunctive treatment and support services but stressed that engagement with these additional services should not be mandatory. Marketing of CM will need to address preconceptions about drug-testing used in abstinence-based CM being punitive (especially urine testing) and its connotations with criminal justice interventions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Positive attitudes towards CM bode well for potential uptake should CM be made available in routine clinical practice. However, there is a need to adapt CM to ensure it is feasible and attractive to people who are seeking treatment for methamphetamine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Clay
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Zachary Wilkinson
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Meredith Ginley
- East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Shalini Arunogiri
- Turning Point & Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Christmass
- Next Step Community Alcohol and Other Drugs Service, Mental Health Commission, Perth, Australia
| | | | | | - Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Samantha Colledge-Frisby
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- National Drug Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jack Nagle
- Connections Based Living, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca McKetin
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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11
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Snell G, Marshall AD, van Gennip J, Bonn M, Butler-McPhee J, Cooper CL, Kronfli N, Williams S, Bruneau J, Feld JJ, Janjua NZ, Klein M, Cunningham N, Grebely J, Bartlett SR. Public reimbursement policies in Canada for direct-acting antiviral treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: A descriptive study. Can Liver J 2023; 6:190-200. [PMID: 37503523 PMCID: PMC10370724 DOI: 10.3138/canlivj-2022-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies have simplified HCV treatment, and publicly funded Canadian drug plans have eliminated disease-stage restrictions for reimbursement of DAA therapies. However other policies which complicate, delay, or prevent treatment initiation still persist. We aim to describe these plans' existing reimbursement criteria and appraise whether they hinder treatment access. Methods We reviewed DAA reimbursement policies of 16 publicly funded drug plans published online and provided by contacts with in-depth knowledge of prescribing criteria. Data were collected from May to July 2022. Primary outcomes were: (1) if plans have arranged to accept point-of-care HCV RNA testing for diagnosis; testing requirements for (2) HCV genotype, (3) fibrosis stage, and (4) chronic infection; (5) time taken and method used to approve reimbursement requests; (6) providers eligible to prescribe DAAs; and (7) restrictions on re-treatment. Results Fifteen (94%) plans have at least one policy in place which limits simplified HCV treatment. Many plans continue to require results of genotype or fibrosis staging, limit eligible prescribers, and take longer than 1 day to approve coverage requests. One plan discourages treatment for re-infection. Conclusion Reimbursement criteria set by publicly funded Canadian drug plans continue to limit timely, equitable access to HCV treatment. Eliminating clinically irrelevant pre-authorization testing, expanding eligible prescribers, expediting claims processing, and broadening coverage of treatment for reinfection will improve access to DAAs. The federal government could further enhance efforts by introducing a federal HCV elimination strategy or federal high-cost drug PharmaCare program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelen Snell
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Curtis L Cooper
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nadine Kronfli
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Chronic Viral Illness Service, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah Williams
- Calgary Liver Unit, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Research Center, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jordan J Feld
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Naveed Z Janjua
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marina Klein
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Chronic Viral Illness Service, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nance Cunningham
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sofia R Bartlett
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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12
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Lafferty L, Thomas JR, Gare J, Watts CG, Marshall AD. Speed geeking: how speed-dating techniques can tackle power imbalances at conferences. Nature 2023:10.1038/d41586-023-01866-5. [PMID: 37322249 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-01866-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
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13
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Conway A, Marshall AD, Crawford S, Hayllar J, Grebely J, Treloar C. Deimplementation in the provision of opioid agonist treatment to achieve equity of care for people engaged in treatment: a qualitative study. Implement Sci 2023; 18:22. [PMID: 37296448 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-023-01281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deimplementation, the removal or reduction of potentially hazardous approaches to care, is key to progressing social equity in health. While the benefits of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) are well-evidenced, wide variability in the provision of treatment attenuates positive outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OAT services deimplemented aspects of provision which had long been central to treatment in Australia; supervised dosing, urine drug screening, and frequent in-person attendance for review. This analysis explored how providers considered social inequity in health of patients in the deimplementation of restrictive OAT provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Between August and December 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 OAT providers in Australia. Codes relating to the social determinants of client retention in OAT were clustered according to how providers considered deimplementation in relation to social inequities. Normalisation Process Theory was then used to analyse the clusters in relation to how providers understood their work during the COVID-19 pandemic as responding to systemic issues that condition OAT access. RESULTS We explored four overarching themes based on constructs from Normalisation Process Theory: adaptive execution, cognitive participation, normative restructuring, and sustainment. Accounts of adaptive execution demonstrated tensions between providers' conceptions of equity and patient autonomy. Cognitive participation and normative restructuring were integral to the workability of rapid and drastic changes within the OAT services. Key transformative actors included communities of practice and "thought leaders" who had long supported deimplementation for more humane care. At this early stage of the pandemic, providers had already begun to consider how this period could inform sustainment of deimplementation. When considering a future, post-pandemic period, several providers expressed discomfort at operating with "evidence-enough" and called for narrowly defined types of data on adverse events (e.g. overdose) and expert consensus on takeaway doses. CONCLUSIONS The possibilities for achieving social equity in health are limited by the divergent treatment goals of providers and people receiving OAT. Sustained and equitable deimplementation of obtrusive aspects of OAT provision require co-created treatment goals, patient-centred monitoring and evaluation, and access to a supportive community of practice for providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
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14
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Valerio H, Alavi M, Marshall AD, Hajarizadeh B, Amin J, Law M, Tillakeratne S, George J, Degenhardt L, Grebely J, Matthews GV, Dore GJ. Factors associated with hepatitis C treatment uptake among females of childbearing age in New South Wales, Australia: A population-based study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023. [PMID: 37254644 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Females of childbearing age with hepatitis C virus (HCV) face increased marginalisation with intersecting, sex-specific barriers to direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. We assessed the factors associated with uptake of DAA therapy among females of childbearing age, including those with evidence of recent drug dependence. METHODS HCV notifications in New South Wales, Australia (1995-2017) were linked to opioid agonist therapy (OAT), hospitalisations, incarcerations, perinatal, HIV notifications, deaths and prescription databases. Recent drug dependence was defined as hospitalisation due to injectable drugs or receipt of OAT occurring in the DAA era (2016-2018). Logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with DAA uptake among females of childbearing age (18-44), including those with recent drug dependence. RESULTS Among 57,467 people with evidence of chronic HCV in the DAA era (2016-2018), 20,161 (35%) were female, including 33% (n = 6563/20,161) of childbearing age (18-44). Among all females of childbearing age (n = 6563) and those with evidence of recent drug dependence (n = 2278/6563, 35%), DAA uptake was lower among those who had given birth in the DAA era (vs. no birth record, all females of childbearing age; aOR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.61, 0.89; those with recent drug dependence; aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.51, 0.93) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (all females of childbearing age; aOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71, 0.93; those with recent drug dependence aOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62, 0.90). CONCLUSION Females of childbearing age should be considered a key population for DAA therapy. Enhancing antenatal and postnatal HCV care may be critical in the pursuit towards elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maryam Alavi
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Health Systems and Population Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew Law
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jacob George
- Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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15
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Marshall AD, Schroeder SE, Lafferty L, Drysdale K, Baldry E, Stoové M, Dietze P, Higgs P, Treloar C. Perceived access to opioid agonist treatment in prison among people with a history of injection drug use: A qualitative study. J Subst Use Addict Treat 2023; 150:209066. [PMID: 37156422 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is associated with a reduced likelihood of hepatitis C incidence, nonfatal overdose, and (re)incarceration among people who inject drugs (PWID), yet factors underpinning decisions to access OAT in prison and postrelease are not well understood. The aim of the qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of OAT access while in prison among PWID recently released from prison in Australia. METHODS Eligible participants enrolled in the SuperMix cohort (n = 1303) were invited to take part in a semi-structured interview in Victoria, Australia. Inclusion criteria were informed consent, aged ≥18 years, history of injection drug use, incarcerated for ≥3 months, and released from custody <12 months. The study team analysed data via a candidacy framework to account for macro-structural influences. RESULTS Among 48 participants (33 male; ten Aboriginal), most injected drugs in the prior month (n = 41), with heroin most frequently injected (n = 33) and nearly half (n = 23) were currently on OAT (primarily methadone). Most participants described the navigation and permeability of OAT services in prison as convoluted. If not on OAT pre-entry, prison policies often restricted access, leaving participants to withdraw in cells. In turn, some participants commenced OAT postrelease to ensure OAT continuity of care if reincarcerated. Other participants who experienced delayed access to OAT in prison stated no need to initiate while in prison or postrelease as they were now "clean". Last, implementation of OAT delivery in prison (e.g., lack of confidentiality) frequently led to changes in OAT type to avoid peer violence (pressure to divert OAT). CONCLUSION Findings draw attention to simplistic notions of OAT accessibility in prisons, illuminating how structural determinants influence choice in PWID decision-making. Suboptimal access and acceptability of OAT delivery in prisons will continue to place PWID at risk of harm postrelease (e.g., overdose).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Sophia E Schroeder
- Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lise Lafferty
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kerryn Drysdale
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Mark Stoové
- Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Higgs
- Behaviours and Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Marshall AD, Martinello M, Zolopa C, Treloar C, Larney S. Universal hepatitis C virus screening and treatment as part of prenatal care. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 8:295-297. [PMID: 36905933 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(22)00421-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Marianne Martinello
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Camille Zolopa
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier, l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sarah Larney
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier, l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Conway A, Treloar C, Crawford S, Degenhardt L, Dore GJ, Farrell M, Hayllar J, Grebely J, Marshall AD. "You'll come in and dose even in a global pandemic": A qualitative study of adaptive opioid agonist treatment provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Drug Policy 2023; 114:103998. [PMID: 36907071 PMCID: PMC9986137 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.103998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) improves multiple health and social outcomes, yet requirements to attend for supervised dosing can be burdensome and stigmatising. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions threatened continuity of care and the wellbeing of people receiving OAT, risking a parallel health crisis. This study sought to understand how adaptations in the complex system of OAT provision impacted and responded to risk environments of people receiving OAT during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The analysis draws on semi-structured interviews with 40 people receiving and 29 people providing OAT located across Australia. The study considered the risk environments that produce COVID-19 transmission, treatment (non-)adherence, and adverse events for people receiving OAT. Drawing on theories of risk environments and complex adaptive systems, data were coded and analysed to understand how adaptations to the typically rigid system of OAT provision impacted and responded to risk environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS During COVID-19, the complex system of OAT provision demonstrated possibilities for responsive adaptation to the entangled features of risk environments of people receiving OAT. Structural stigma was evident in the services which stayed rigid during the pandemic, requiring people to attend for daily supervised dosing and risking fracturing therapeutic relationships. In parallel, there were several examples of services developing enabling environments by offering flexible care through increased takeaways, treatment subsidies, and home delivery. CONCLUSIONS Rigidity in the delivery of OAT has been an impediment to achieving health and wellbeing over past decades. To sustain health-promoting environments for people receiving OAT, the wider impacts of the complex system should be acknowledged beyond narrowly defined outcomes relating solely to the medication. Centring people receiving OAT in their own care plans will ensure adaptations in the complex system of OAT provision are responsive to the individual's risk environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
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Lafferty L, Schroeder S, Marshall AD, Drysdale K, Higgs P, Stoové M, Baldry E, Dietze P, Treloar C. Trust and service engagement among people who inject drugs after release from prison. Int J Drug Policy 2023; 111:103925. [PMID: 36525780 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compounding histories of injecting drug use and incarceration can marginalise people engaging with services, making it difficult for them to address their health and social welfare needs, particularly when they navigate community re-entry service supports. Drawing on Hall and colleagues' five components of trust, this paper seeks to understand how trust in service providers fosters (or inhibits) effective service engagement from the perspective of people who inject drugs during the prison post-release period. METHODS Between September 2018 and May 2020, qualitative in-depth interviews were completed with 48 adults (33 men, 15 women) recruited from SuperMIX (a longitudinal cohort study of people with a history of injection drug use in Victoria, Australia). Data relating to service engagement were coded against the five components of trust: competence, fidelity, honesty, global trust, and confidence. RESULTS Reflections of post-release service engagement frequently focused on interactions with community corrections (parole) officers. Depictions of trust were consistently portrayed within the context of negative experiences and deficits, whereby trusting provider relationships and interactions were rarely described. Most participants recounted a stark absence of fidelity (that is, "pursuing a [client's] best interests"), with some participants detailing circumstances in which their vulnerability was purposefully, almost strategically, exploited. These encounters nearly always had the consequence of impeding the participant's positive progression in the post-release integration period. CONCLUSION There is an urgent need to prioritise the client in health and social service delivery in the post-release transition-to-community period and recognise the importance of trust in delivering effective services to people whose life histories make them highly vulnerable to marginalisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Lafferty
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Level 1, Goodsell Building, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Level 6, Wallace Wurth, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - S Schroeder
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road,, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
| | - A D Marshall
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Level 1, Goodsell Building, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia; The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Level 6, Wallace Wurth, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - K Drysdale
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Level 1, Goodsell Building, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - P Higgs
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road,, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Plenty Rd, Bundoora VIC 3086, Australia
| | - M Stoové
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road,, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
| | - E Baldry
- Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UNSW Sydney, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - P Dietze
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road,, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Level 1, Goodsell Building, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
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Cunningham EB, Wheeler A, Hajarizadeh B, French CE, Roche R, Marshall AD, Fontaine G, Conway A, Bajis S, Valencia BM, Presseau J, Ward JW, Degenhardt L, Dore GJ, Hickman M, Vickerman P, Grebely J. Interventions to enhance testing and linkage to treatment for hepatitis C infection for people who inject drugs: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Drug Policy 2023; 111:103917. [PMID: 36542883 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the advent of direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapies for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), the World Health Organization recommended a goal to eliminate HCV as a public health threat globally by 2030. With the majority of new and existing infections in high income countries occurring among people who inject drugs, achieving this goal will require the design and implementation of interventions which address the unique barriers to HCV care faced by this population. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched bibliographic databases and conference abstracts to July 21, 2020 for studies assessing interventions to improve the following study outcomes: HCV antibody testing, HCV RNA testing, linkage to care, and treatment initiation. We included both randomised and non-randomised studies which included a comparator arm. We excluded studies which enrolled only paediatric populations (<18 years old) and studies where the intervention was conducted in a different healthcare setting than the control or comparator. This analysis was restricted to studies conducted among people who inject drugs. Data were extracted from the identified records and meta-analysis was used to pool the effect of interventions on study outcomes. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020178035). FINDINGS Of 15,342 unique records, 45 studies described the implementation of an intervention to improve HCV testing, linkage to care and treatment initiation among people who inject drugs. These included 27 randomised trials and 18 non-randomised studies with the risk of bias rated as "critical" for most non-randomised studies. Patient education and patient navigation to address patient-level barriers to HCV care were shown to improve antibody testing uptake and linkage to HCV care respectively although patient education did not improve antibody testing when restricted to randomised studies. Provider care coordination to address provider level barriers to HCV care was effective at improving antibody testing uptake. Three different interventions to address systems-level barriers to HCV care were effective across different stages of HCV care: point-of-care antibody testing (linkage to care); dried blood-spot testing (antibody testing uptake); and integrated care (linkage to care and treatment initiation). INTERPRETATION Multiple interventions are available that can address the barriers to HCV care for people who inject drugs at the patient-, provider-, and systems-level. The design of models of care to improve HCV testing and treatment among people who inject drugs must consider the unique barriers to care that this population faces. Further research, including high-quality randomised controlled trials, are needed to robustly assess the impact these interventions can have in varied populations and settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Wheeler
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Clare E French
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1UD, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Rachel Roche
- Blood Safety, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England Colindale, London, UK; The National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at UCL, NIHR, London, UK
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Guillaume Fontaine
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Justin Presseau
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, The Task Force for Global Health, Decatur GA, USA
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1UD, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1UD, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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20
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Marshall AD, Matthews GV. Simplifying hepatitis C care models: a crucial step towards hepatitis C elimination. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 7:1066-1068. [DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(22)00306-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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21
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Horwitz R, Brener L, Marshall AD, Caruana T, Newman CE. Optimising community health services in Australia for populations affected by stigmatised infections: What do service users want? Health Soc Care Community 2022; 30:e3686-e3695. [PMID: 36181284 PMCID: PMC10092471 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.14037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Stigma in health services undermines diagnosis, treatment and successful health outcomes for all communities, but especially for those affected by blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study sought to examine experiences in accessing and receiving health services, including what characteristics promoted better health, safety and well-being for people with blood-borne viruses or STIss. It conducted 46 in-depth interviews with people who inject drugs, gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, people in custodial settings, culturally and linguistically diverse people, Indigenous Australians and young people in one Australian urban community setting. Findings reveal that stigma persists in the provision of healthcare services, and that previous experiences of discrimination or fear of mistreatment may result in a reluctance to continue to access services. On-going staff training and education are important to ensure healthcare environments are welcoming and inclusive. Specialised services and services that employed peers were seen as favourable. Attending different services for different health needs created particular access challenges and undermined participant ability to engage in more holistic healthcare. The fragmented structure of health services was thus seen as a barrier to accessing health services, and stronger collaboration between health services is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Horwitz
- Centre for Social ResearchUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Loren Brener
- Centre for Social ResearchUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Alison D. Marshall
- Centre for Social ResearchUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kirby InstituteUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Theresa Caruana
- Centre for Social ResearchUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Christy E. Newman
- Centre for Social ResearchUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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22
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Conway A, Treloar C, Crawford S, Grebely J, Marshall AD. People engaged in opioid agonist treatment as a counterpublic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: A qualitative study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2022; 42:203-212. [PMID: 36054577 PMCID: PMC9538012 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT) are at higher risk of comorbidities, poverty and discrimination, which Big Events like the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate. The behaviours of people receiving OAT do not always align with normative behaviours as conceived by ruling institutions and laws, and so the group becomes a counterpublic, not imagined in mainstream public discourse. The aim of this study was to understand how people receiving OAT, as a counterpublic, implemented practises of care to mitigate negative health outcomes during COVID-19. METHODS Participants were recruited via eight peer-led organisations across Australia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were completed between August and December 2020 with 40 people receiving OAT. The analysis centres practises of care, allowing interactions that influence the health of participants, to be understood in their unique contexts. RESULTS Aspects of the COVID-19 state response were designed for an idealised public, demonstrated by the increased policing that accompanied enforcement of restrictions which was detrimental to the wellbeing of people receiving OAT. Counterpublic health strategies employed by people receiving OAT were disrupted, but participants were often able to adapt to the changing context. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study elucidates how practises of care among people receiving OAT are enacted and disrupted during a Big Event, with implications beyond the COVID-19 pandemic for future Big Events. The study findings evidence the need for policies that mitigate the impact of Big Events such as supporting re-groupment within the counterpublic, legitimising counterpublic health strategies and stopping the criminalisation of people who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia,Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | | | | | - Alison D. Marshall
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia,Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
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23
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Marshall AD, Martinello M, Treloar C, Matthews GV. Perceptions of hepatitis C treatment and reinfection risk among HIV-positive men who have sex with men and engage in high risk behaviours for hepatitis C transmission: The CEASE qualitative study. Int J Drug Policy 2022; 109:103828. [PMID: 35994937 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, treatment uptake for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-HCV coinfected men who have sex with men (MSM) has substantially increased since the advent of interferon-free direct-acting antivirals (DAA). However, HIV-positive MSM who engage in high risk behaviours are at an increased risk of HCV reinfection post-treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate perceptions of HCV diagnosis, treatment and reinfection risk among HCV-HIV coinfected MSM who engage in drug use and/or high risk sexual behavior in Sydney, Australia. METHODS Participants were recruited from the Control and Elimination within AuStralia of HEpatitis C from people living with HIV (CEASE) cohort (n=402) who reported engaging in drug use and/or high risk sexual behavior for transmission of HCV infection. Participants were interviewed about their perceptions of HCV diagnosis, treatment, and reinfection risk. Interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically. RESULTS Of 33 participants interviewed (mean age 49 years), many participants were 'shocked' by their HCV diagnosis. Participants who believed they acquired HCV infection through sexual exposure felt it was important that their healthcare practitioner agreed with their perspective to mitigate stigmatizing experiences. Overall, participants expressed high satisfaction with their treatment experience due to long-standing therapeutic relationships with their HIV physician. Many participants expressed knowledge of how to prevent HCV reinfection from injection drug use, yet other than condom usage, most were unsure how to reduce high risk sexual activity with such discussions occurring less frequently with healthcare practitioners. CONCLUSION Findings indicate that MSM who engage in drug use and high risk sexual activity would benefit from additional education on reducing reinfection risk through sexual activity and services to reduce substance use, if requested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | | | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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24
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Larney S, Madden A, Marshall AD, Martin NK, Treloar C. A gender lens is needed in hepatitis C elimination research. Int J Drug Policy 2022; 103:103654. [PMID: 35306279 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organisation has established a goal of eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health threat by 2030. Considerable effort is being directed towards research to support and enhance HCV treatment uptake among people who inject drugs, but there is a distinct lack of attention given to gender in this work. We argue that a gender lens is needed to make visible the limitations of current HCV elimination research, and support the development of innovative, inclusive approaches to HCV treatment. Partnerships between researchers and people who inject drugs are essential in this work, particularly in the development and evaluation of programs by and for women who inject drugs. Failure to acknowledge the gendered dimensions of HCV elimination risks entrenching gender disparities in access to treatment and cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Larney
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Canada.
| | - Annie Madden
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, USA; School of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Carla Treloar
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Australia
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25
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Cunningham EB, Wheeler A, Hajarizadeh B, French CE, Roche R, Marshall AD, Fontaine G, Conway A, Valencia BM, Bajis S, Presseau J, Ward JW, Degenhardt L, Dore GJ, Hickman M, Vickerman P, Grebely J. Interventions to enhance testing, linkage to care, and treatment initiation for hepatitis C virus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 7:426-445. [PMID: 35303490 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(21)00471-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the goal set by WHO to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a public health threat, uptake of HCV testing and treatment remains low. To achieve this target, evidence-based interventions are needed to address the barriers to care for people with, or at risk of, HCV infection. We aimed to assess the efficacy of interventions to improve HCV antibody testing, HCV RNA testing, linkage to HCV care, and treatment initiation. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO without language restrictions for reports published between database inception and July 21, 2020, assessing the following primary outcomes: HCV antibody testing; HCV RNA testing; linkage to HCV care; and direct-acting antiviral treatment initiation. We also searched key conference abstracts. We included randomised and non-randomised studies assessing non-pharmaceutical interventions that included a comparator or control group. Studies were excluded if they enrolled only paediatric populations (aged <18 years) or if they conducted the intervention in a different health-care setting to that of the control or comparator. Authors were contacted to clarify study details and to obtain additional population-level data. Data were extracted from the records identified into a pre-piloted and standardised data extraction form and a random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the effects of the interventions on study outcomes. This study is registered in PROSPERO, CRD42020178035. FINDINGS Of 15 342 unique records identified, 142 were included, which reported on 148 unique studies (47 randomised controlled trials and 101 non-randomised studies). Medical chart reminders, provider education, and point-of-care antibody testing significantly improved at least three study outcomes compared with a comparator or control. Interventions that simplified HCV testing, including dried blood spot testing, point-of-care antibody testing, reflex RNA testing, and opt-out screening, significantly improved testing outcomes compared with a comparator or control. Enhanced patient and provider support through patient education, provider care coordination, and provider education also significantly improved testing outcomes compared with a comparator or control. Integrated care and patient navigation or care coordination significantly improved linkage to care and the uptake of direct-acting antiviral treatment compared with a comparator or control. INTERPRETATION Several interventions to improve HCV care that address several key barriers to HCV care were identified. New models of HCV care must be designed and implemented to address the barriers faced by the population of interest. Further high-quality research, including rigorously designed randomised studies, is still needed in key populations. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Wheeler
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Clare E French
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Rachel Roche
- Blood Safety, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England Colindale, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at UCL, National Institute for Health Research, London, UK
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Guillaume Fontaine
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin Presseau
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - John W Ward
- Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, The Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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26
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Marshall AD, Rance J, Grebely J, Treloar C. 'Not just one box that you tick off' - Deconstructing the hepatitis C care cascade in the interferon-free direct acting antiviral era from the client perspective. Int J Drug Policy 2022; 102:103610. [PMID: 35151085 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To achieve hepatitis C viral (HCV) elimination targets set by the World Health Organisation, pillars of the HCV care cascade are often referenced to track progress. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the limitations of the care cascade framework through the real-world accounts of 'HCV journeys' among people who inject drugs (PWID), with particular attention to the intersection of PWID agency and structural determinants in the healthcare system. METHODS An in-depth analysis was conducted on five case studies to better understand participant experiences 'behind the cascade pillars'. The five case studies were drawn from the ETHOS Engage cohort as exemplars of the real-world complexities of people's HCV cascade journeys. Inclusion criteria for the qualitative study were participant has voluntarily signed the informed consent form, aged ≥18 years, HCV antibody positive by self-report, clients of selected sites participating in the ETHOS Engage cohort, and sufficiently proficient in English to participate in an interview. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who had received or had not received HCV treatment to identify barriers and facilitators to HCV care. RESULTS Participants 'housed' at the 'HCV RNA diagnosed pillar' (n = 2; Will; Julie) reported withholding their HCV serostatus in certain healthcare settings for fear that disclosure would lead to discriminatory decision-making from their treating physician. among participants who had completed treatment (n = 3; Corey; John; Nora) two reported still being unsure of their HCV status >6 months post-treatment. Ongoing feelings of frustration and shame were expressed in this 'post-cure care pillar' due to a perceived lack of quality care from clinic services and continued uneasiness when discussing drug use and reinfection while receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Both case 'categories' described often tenuous therapeutic relationships with their physicians and recommended task-shifting to nurses and trusted case workers for ongoing care. CONCLUSION The care cascade provides a linear, two dimensional snapshot of clinical targets. Our findings illuminate structural barriers not visible behind its 'static' pillars, presenting insights into experiences among PWID otherwise dismissed as 'disengaged' or 'lost to follow-up'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
| | - J Rance
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | - J Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia
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27
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Grebely J, Collins AB, Artenie AA, Sutherland R, Meyer JP, Barocas JA, Falade-Nwulia O, Cepeda JA, Cunningham EB, Hajarizadeh B, Lafferty L, Lazarus JV, Bonn M, Marshall AD, Treloar C. Progress and remaining challenges to address hepatitis C, other infectious diseases, and drug-related harms to improve the health of people who use drugs. Int J Drug Policy 2021; 96:103469. [PMID: 34610884 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | | | | | - Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jaimie P Meyer
- AIDS Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States; Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, United States
| | - Joshua A Barocas
- Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States
| | - Oluwaseun Falade-Nwulia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Javier A Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore, United States
| | | | | | - Lise Lafferty
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthew Bonn
- Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, Dartmouth, Canada
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Conway A, Valerio H, Peacock A, Degenhardt L, Hayllar J, Harrod ME, Henderson C, Read P, Gilliver R, Christmass M, Dunlop A, Montebello M, Whitton G, Reid D, Lam T, Alavi M, Silk D, Marshall AD, Treloar C, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Non-fatal opioid overdose, naloxone access, and naloxone training among people who recently used opioids or received opioid agonist treatment in Australia: The ETHOS Engage study. Int J Drug Policy 2021; 96:103421. [PMID: 34452808 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overdose is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among people who use opioids. Naloxone can reverse opioid overdoses and can be distributed and administered with minimal training. People with experience of overdose are a key population to target for overdose prevention strategies. This study aims to understand if factors associated with recent non-fatal opioid overdose are the same as factors associated with naloxone access and naloxone training in people who recently used opioids or received opioid agonist treatment (OAT). METHODS ETHOS Engage is an observational study of people who inject drugs in Australia. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios for non-fatal opioid overdose, naloxone access and naloxone training. RESULTS Between May 2018-September 2019, 1280 participants who recently used opioids or received OAT were enrolled (62% aged >40 years; 35% female, 80% receiving OAT, 62% injected drugs in the preceding month). Recent opioid overdose (preceding 12 months) was reported by 7% of participants, lifetime naloxone access by 17%, and lifetime naloxone training by 14%. Compared to people receiving OAT with no additional opioid use, recent opioid, benzodiazepine (preceding six months), and hazardous alcohol use was associated with recent opioid overdose (aOR 3.91; 95%CI: 1.68-9.10) and lifetime naloxone access (aOR 2.12; 95%CI 1.29-3.48). Among 91 people who reported recent overdose, 65% had never received take-home naloxone or naloxone training. CONCLUSIONS Among people recently using opioids or receiving OAT, benzodiazepine and hazardous alcohol use is associated with non-fatal opioid overdose. Not all factors associated with non-fatal overdose correspond to factors associated with naloxone access. Naloxone access and training is low across all groups. Additional interventions are needed to scale up naloxone provision.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - H Valerio
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A Peacock
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - L Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - M E Harrod
- NSW Users and AIDS Association, NSW, Australia
| | - C Henderson
- NSW Users and AIDS Association, NSW, Australia
| | - P Read
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kirketon Road Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - R Gilliver
- Kirketon Road Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Christmass
- Next Step Drug and Alcohol Services, Mental Health Commission, WA, Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, WA, Australia
| | - A Dunlop
- Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute & University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - M Montebello
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Drug and Alcohol Services, Northern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G Whitton
- Drug Health Service, South West Sydney LHD, NSW, Australia
| | - D Reid
- Drug and Alcohol Service, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - T Lam
- Drug Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Alavi
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - D Silk
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Marshall AD, Hopwood M, Grebely J, Treloar C. Applying a diffusion of innovations framework to the scale-up of direct-acting antiviral therapies for hepatitis C virus infection: Identified challenges for widespread implementation. Int J Drug Policy 2020; 86:102964. [PMID: 33059118 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Interferon-free, direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) offer much promise to achieve World Health Organization targets by 2030. However, impediments at the practitioner and health-system level will continue to obstruct the scale-up of DAAs worldwide unless identified and acted upon. Applying a diffusion of innovations framework, the aim of this study was to identify structural factors impacting practitioner experiences of managing HCV treatment. METHODS In-depth, semi-structured, telephone interviews took place between September 2018 and April 2019 to investigate barriers and facilitators for engaging in HCV management and DAA therapy amongst general practitioners (GPs) who prescribe opioid agonist therapy and drug and alcohol specialists in Australia. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, de-identified, and coded, and data were analysed with iterative categorisation and thematic analysis using Everett Rogers's diffusion of innovation framework. RESULTS amongst 30 participants (12 GPs, 18 drug and alcohol specialists), several structural factors were reported to impede practitioner efforts to deliver optimal HCV care. Two primary themes were explored: contextual factors for the diffusion of DAA therapies, including attempts by participants to shift clinic culture and respond to siloed health structures, and adopter factors. Some participants chose to 'rock the boat' by circumventing clinic protocol and HCV guidelines to treat more clients, effectively shifting adopter categories to become greater advocates in HCV care. Also, while a role for GPs as the 'new adopters' in HCV management was discussed, many participants expressed uncertainty as to how much GPs should become involved in the diffusion of DAA therapies more widely. CONCLUSIONS Reducing the global burden of HCV infection will not be possible without the widespread delivery of HCV treatment amongst practitioners. Practitioners and health workers require leadership and resources from health authorities so that the individual and population-level benefits of DAA therapy are realised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Max Hopwood
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Carla Treloar
- The Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Abstract
The giant oceanic manta ray Mobula birostris was listed in the US Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in 2018, yet insufficient data exist on manta populations throughout US waters to designate critical habitat. Taxonomic and genetic evidence suggests that manta rays in the Western Atlantic are a separate species (M. cf. birostris) and little is understood about the ecology and life history of this putative species. The juvenile life stage of both M. birostris and M. cf. birostris is particularly understudied. Here, we are the first to describe the characteristics of a manta ray population along a highly developed coastline in southeastern Florida using boat-based surveys and photo identification of individuals. Fifty-nine manta individuals were identified between 2016 and 2019. All males were sexually immature based on clasper development, and 96% of females were classified as immature based on size and absence of mating scars or visible pregnancies. Twenty-five (42%) individuals were observed more than once during the study period and 8 individuals were sighted over multiple years. The occurrence of juveniles, high site fidelity and extended use of the study area by juvenile manta rays suggest that southeastern Florida may serve as a nursery habitat. High occurrence of fishing line entanglement (27% of individuals) and vessel strike injury were documented, and rapid wound healing was observed. Future research and conservation efforts will focus on identifying the physical and biological features of the potential nursery habitat and on mitigation of anthropogenic impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- JH Pate
- Marine Megafauna Foundation, Truckee, CA, 96161, USA
| | - AD Marshall
- Marine Megafauna Foundation, Truckee, CA, 96161, USA
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Bajis S, Grebely J, Hajarizadeh B, Applegate T, Marshall AD, Ellen Harrod M, Byrne J, Bath N, Read P, Edwards M, Gorton C, Hayllar J, Cock V, Peterson S, Thomson C, Weltman M, Jefferies M, Wood W, Haber P, Ezard N, Martinello M, Maher L, Dore GJ. Hepatitis C virus testing, liver disease assessment and treatment uptake among people who inject drugs pre- and post-universal access to direct-acting antiviral treatment in Australia: The LiveRLife study. J Viral Hepat 2020; 27:281-293. [PMID: 31698545 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Gaps in hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing, diagnosis, liver disease assessment and treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID) persist. We aimed to describe the cascade of HCV care among PWID in Australia, prior to and following unrestricted access to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. Participants enrolled in an observational cohort study between 2014 and 2018 provided fingerstick whole-blood samples for dried blood spot, Xpert HCV Viral Load and venepuncture samples. Participants underwent transient elastography and clinical assessment by a nurse or general practitioner. Among 839 participants (mean age 43 years), 66% were male (n = 550), 64% (n = 537) injected drugs in the previous month, and 67% (n = 560) reported currently receiving opioid substitution therapy. Overall, 45% (n = 380) had detectable HCV RNA, of whom 23% (n = 86) received HCV treatment within 12 months of enrolment. HCV treatment uptake increased from 2% in the pre-DAA era to 38% in the DAA era. Significant liver fibrosis (F2-F4) was more common in participants with HCV infection (38%) than those without (19%). Age 50 years or older (aOR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.18-7.04) and attending a clinical follow-up with nurse (aOR, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.61-6.32) or physician (aOR, 11.83; 95% CI, 4.89-28.59) were associated with HCV treatment uptake. Recent injection drug use and unstable housing were not associated with HCV treatment uptake. HCV treatment uptake among PWID has increased markedly in the DAA era. Evaluation of innovative and simplified models of care is required to further enhance treatment uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Jude Byrne
- Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Nicky Bath
- NSW Users and AIDS Association, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Michael Edwards
- South Western Sydney Local Health District Drug Health Services, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carla Gorton
- Cairns Sexual Health Service, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Victoria Cock
- Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Claire Thomson
- Bayside Alcohol and Drug Services, Cleveland, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - William Wood
- Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Haber
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nadine Ezard
- Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Lisa Maher
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Marshall AD, Grebely J, Dore GJ, Treloar C. Barriers and facilitators to engaging in hepatitis C management and DAA therapy among general practitioners and drug and alcohol specialists-The practitioner experience. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 206:107705. [PMID: 31718924 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the advent of interferon-free, direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, prescriber restrictions have been removed worldwide, permitting HCV management outside of hospital-based clinics. To date, there is limited knowledge of the practitioner experience with DAA treatments, particularly among those new to HCV care. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate barriers and facilitators for HCV management among general practitioners (GPs) who prescribe opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and drug and alcohol specialists. METHODS In-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted between September 2018 and April 2019. Practitioners from across Australia were purposively sampled and questioned on barriers and facilitators to HCV management in their clinic(s). Data were coded and analysed with iterative categorisation and thematical analysis. RESULTS Thirty practitioners were interviewed. Participants expressed professional fulfillment in managing HCV care and many benefited from specialist mentorship. Most participants expressed frustration with ongoing implementation barriers, notably, a lack of onsite phlebotomy services and liver disease staging equipment. Poor venous access among persons who inject drugs was elucidated as a major barrier to treatment initiation. Some participants did not receive clinic manager support to engage in HCV care. CONCLUSION To achieve HCV targets set by WHO by 2030, practitioners require additional implementation support. As HCV testing remains a barrier to linkage to care, practitioners should be kept well-informed of diagnostic developments. Findings also underscore the importance of initial specialist mentorship with further evidence needed for practitioners based in rural regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - J Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - G J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Marshall AD, Madden A, Treloar C. Enhancing engagement in hepatitis C care among people who inject drugs. Addiction 2019; 114:2104-2106. [PMID: 31140205 DOI: 10.1111/add.14698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Annie Madden
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Marshall AD, Pawlotsky JM, Lazarus JV, Aghemo A, Dore GJ, Grebely J. The removal of DAA restrictions in Europe - One step closer to eliminating HCV as a major public health threat. J Hepatol 2018; 69:1188-1196. [PMID: 29959953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Of ∼10.2 million people with chronic HCV infection in Europe, 6.7 million live in Eastern Europe, 2.3 million in Western Europe and 1.2 million in Central Europe. HCV transmission continues to occur in parallel with an increasing HCV-related liver disease burden, the result of an ageing population infected during peak HCV epidemics decades earlier. In 2016, the World Health Organization set targets to eliminate HCV infection as a major public health threat by 2030. Across Europe, an estimated 36% of those living with chronic HCV infection have been diagnosed and ∼5% have been treated. A major barrier to enhancing HCV treatment uptake has been restrictions set by payers, including national governments and others, in response to the initially high list prices of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies. The aims of this article are to discuss DAA restrictions in Europe, why DAA restrictions are still in place, what has facilitated the removal of DAA restrictions, and what challenges remain as we attempt to eliminate HCV as a major public health threat in the region by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Michel Pawlotsky
- National Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis B, C and D, Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France; INSERM U955, Créteil, France
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CHIP, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alessio Aghemo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
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35
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Bajis S, Maher L, Treloar C, Hajarizadeh B, Lamoury FMJ, Mowat Y, Schulz M, Marshall AD, Cunningham EB, Cock V, Ezard N, Gorton C, Hayllar J, Smith J, Whelan M, Martinello M, Applegate TL, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Acceptability and preferences of point-of-care finger-stick whole-blood and venepuncture hepatitis C virus testing among people who inject drugs in Australia. Int J Drug Policy 2018; 61:23-30. [PMID: 30388566 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uptake of hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing remains inadequate globally. Simplified point-of-care tests should enhance HCV diagnosis and elimination. We aimed to assess the acceptability of finger-stick and venepuncture HCV RNA testing among people who inject drugs (PWID). METHODS Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study with recruitment at 13 sites between June 2016 and February 2018. Capillary whole-blood collected by finger-stick and plasma collected by venepuncture were performed for Xpert® HCV viral load testing. Participants completed a questionnaire on acceptability of, and preferences for, blood collection methods. RESULTS Among 565 participants (mean age, 44 years; 69% male), 64% reported injecting drugs in the last month, and 63% were receiving opioid substitution treatment. Eighty three percent reported that finger-stick testing was very acceptable. Overall, 65% of participants preferred finger-stick over venepuncture testing, with 61% of these preferring to receive results in 60 min. The most common reason for preferring finger-stick over venepuncture testing was it was quick (62%) followed by venous access difficulties (21%). The main reasons for preferring venepuncture over finger-stick testing were that it was quick (61%) and accurate (29%). Females were more likely to prefer finger-stick testing than males (adjusted OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.30, 2.99; p = 0.002). Among people with recent (previous month) injecting drug use, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were less likely than non-Aboriginal people to prefer finger-stick testing (adjusted OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.34, 0.9; p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS Finger-stick whole-blood collection is acceptable to people who inject drugs, with males and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with recent injecting drug use less likely to prefer finger-stick testing. Further research is needed to evaluate interventions integrating simplified point-of-care HCV testing to engage people in care in a single-visit, thereby facilitating HCV treatment scale-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Lisa Maher
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Yasmin Mowat
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marcel Schulz
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Evan B Cunningham
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Cock
- Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nadine Ezard
- Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Gorton
- Cairns Sexual Health Service, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Julie Smith
- Matthew Talbot Hostel, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW Support Services, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle Whelan
- Campbelltown Drug Health Services, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Tanya L Applegate
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Cheng ML, Abdel-Hakeem MS, Cousineau SE, Grebely J, Marshall AD, Saeed S, Sagan SM, Shoukry NH, Feld JJ, MacParland SA. The 7th Canadian Symposium on Hepatitis C Virus: “Toward Elimination of HCV: How to Get There”. CanLivJ 2018; 1:139-152. [DOI: 10.3138/canlivj.2018-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects more than 268,000 people in Canada. Both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada recognize the significant impact of HCV-related liver diseases and supported the establishment of a national hepatitis C research network, the Canadian Network on Hepatitis C (CanHepC). Interferon-free direct-acting antiviral regimens lead to more than 95% cure rates in almost all patients with well-tolerated short-course therapy. However, the goal of eliminating HCV in Canada cannot be fully realized until we overcome the financial, geographical, cultural, and social barriers that affect the entire continuum of care from diagnosis and linkage to care through treatment and prevention of new and reinfections. Current practices face difficulties in reversing HCV-induced immunological defects, expanding treatment to neglected communities, combating reinfections and co-infections, and expediting and simplifying the processes of diagnosis and treatment. As part of its knowledge translation mandate, CanHepC has organized the annual Canadian symposium on hepatitis C since 2012. The theme of this year’s symposium, “Toward Elimination of HCV: How to Get There?” focused on identifying the requirements of our therapeutic strategies and health policies for the elimination of HCV in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Cheng
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
| | - Mohamed S Abdel-Hakeem
- Penn Institute for Immunology, Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sophie E Cousineau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Jason Grebely
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alison D Marshall
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sahar Saeed
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Selena M Sagan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Naglaa H Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
| | - Jordan J Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
| | - Sonya A MacParland
- Multi-Organ Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
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Neale J, Tompkins CNE, Marshall AD, Treloar C, Strang J. Building on feminist achievements to enhance choice for women seeking treatment. Addiction 2018; 113:1001-1002. [PMID: 29732702 DOI: 10.1111/add.14226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Neale
- Professor of Addictions Qualitative Research, National Addiction Centre, King's College London, UK.,Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Strang
- National Addiction Centre, King's College London, UK
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Neale J, Tompkins CNE, Marshall AD, Treloar C, Strang J. Do women with complex alcohol and other drug use histories want women-only residential treatment? Addiction 2018; 113:989-997. [PMID: 29368436 PMCID: PMC6221094 DOI: 10.1111/add.14131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women-only addiction services tend to be provided on a poorly evidenced assumption that women want single-sex treatment. We draw upon women's expectations and experiences of women-only residential rehabilitation to stimulate debate on this issue. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 19 women aged 25-44 years [currently in treatment (n = 9), successfully completed treatment (n = 5), left treatment prematurely (n = 5)]. All had histories of physical or sexual abuse, and relapses linked to relationships with men. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed inductively following Iterative Categorization. FINDINGS Women reported routinely that they had been concerned, anxious or scared about entering women-only treatment. They attributed these feelings to previous poor relationships with women, being more accustomed to male company and negative experiences of other women-only residential settings. Few women said that they had wanted women-only treatment, although many became more positive after entering the women-only service. Once in treatment, women often explained that they felt safe, supported, relaxed, understood and able to open up and develop relationships with other female residents. However, they also described tensions, conflicts, mistrust and social distancing that undermined their treatment experiences. CONCLUSIONS Women who have complex histories of alcohol and other drug use do not necessarily want or perceive benefit in women-only residential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Neale
- National Addiction CentreKing's College LondonLondonUK,Centre for Social Research in HealthUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | | | | | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in HealthUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - John Strang
- National Addiction CentreKing's College LondonLondonUK
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Lamoury FMJ, Bajis S, Hajarizadeh B, Marshall AD, Martinello M, Ivanova E, Catlett B, Mowat Y, Marks P, Amin J, Smith J, Ezard N, Cock V, Hayllar J, Persing DH, Kleman M, Cunningham P, Dore GJ, Applegate TL, Grebely J. Evaluation of the Xpert HCV Viral Load Finger-Stick Point-of-Care Assay. J Infect Dis 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sahar Bajis
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Elena Ivanova
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Beth Catlett
- St Vincent’s Applied Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales
| | - Yasmin Mowat
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales
| | - Julie Smith
- Matthew Talbot Hostel, St Vincent de Paul Society New South Wales Support Services, Sydney
| | - Nadine Ezard
- Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney
| | - Victoria Cock
- Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia, Adelaide
| | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | - Philip Cunningham
- St Vincent’s Applied Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales
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Marshall AD, Treloar C, Dore GJ, Grebely J. A239 QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DECISIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS WHO RECEIVED A LIVER DISEASE ASSESSMENT AS PART OF A LIVER HEALTH PROMOTION CAMPAIGN: THE LIVERLIFE STUDY. J Can Assoc Gastroenterol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jcag/gwy008.240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - G J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Marshall AD, Cunningham EB, Nielsen S, Aghemo A, Alho H, Backmund M, Bruggmann P, Dalgard O, Seguin-Devaux C, Flisiak R, Foster GR, Gheorghe L, Goldberg D, Goulis I, Hickman M, Hoffmann P, Jancorienė L, Jarcuska P, Kåberg M, Kostrikis LG, Makara M, Maimets M, Marinho RT, Matičič M, Norris S, Ólafsson S, Øvrehus A, Pawlotsky JM, Pocock J, Robaeys G, Roncero C, Simonova M, Sperl J, Tait M, Tolmane I, Tomaselli S, van der Valk M, Vince A, Dore GJ, Lazarus JV, Grebely J. Restrictions for reimbursement of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral drugs for HCV infection in Europe. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 3:125-133. [DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(17)30284-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Marshall AD, Grebely J, Dore GJ, Treloar C. ‘I didn’t want to let it go too far.’ The decisions and experiences of people who inject drugs who received a liver disease assessment as part of a liver health promotion campaign: The LiveRLife study. International Journal of Drug Policy 2017; 47:153-160. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Grebely J, Lamoury FMJ, Hajarizadeh B, Mowat Y, Marshall AD, Bajis S, Marks P, Amin J, Smith J, Edwards M, Gorton C, Ezard N, Persing D, Kleman M, Cunningham P, Catlett B, Dore GJ, Applegate TL. Evaluation of the Xpert HCV Viral Load point-of-care assay from venepuncture-collected and finger-stick capillary whole-blood samples: a cohort study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017; 2:514-520. [DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(17)30075-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Marshall AD, Bailey CG, Champ K, Vellozzi M, O'Young P, Metierre C, Feng Y, Thoeng A, Richards AM, Schmitz U, Biro M, Jayasinghe R, Ding L, Anderson L, Mardis ER, Rasko JEJ. CTCF genetic alterations in endometrial carcinoma are pro-tumorigenic. Oncogene 2017; 36:4100-4110. [PMID: 28319062 PMCID: PMC5519450 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CTCF is a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor gene with diverse normal functions in genome structure and gene regulation. However the mechanism by which CTCF haploinsufficiency contributes to cancer development is not well understood. CTCF is frequently mutated in endometrial cancer. Here we show that most CTCF mutations effectively result in CTCF haploinsufficiency through nonsense-mediated decay of mutant transcripts, or loss-of-function missense mutation. Conversely, we identified a recurrent CTCF mutation K365T, which alters a DNA binding residue, and acts as a gain-of-function mutation enhancing cell survival. CTCF genetic deletion occurs predominantly in poor prognosis serous subtype tumours, and this genetic deletion is associated with poor overall survival. In addition, we have shown that CTCF haploinsufficiency also occurs in poor prognosis endometrial clear cell carcinomas and has some association with endometrial cancer relapse and metastasis. Using shRNA targeting CTCF to recapitulate CTCF haploinsufficiency, we have identified a novel role for CTCF in the regulation of cellular polarity of endometrial glandular epithelium. Overall, we have identified two novel pro-tumorigenic roles (promoting cell survival and altering cell polarity) for genetic alterations of CTCF in endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C G Bailey
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Champ
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M Vellozzi
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - P O'Young
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C Metierre
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Y Feng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Thoeng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A M Richards
- Gynaecological Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - U Schmitz
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M Biro
- Cell Motility and Mechanobiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Jayasinghe
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - L Ding
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - L Anderson
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - E R Mardis
- Cancer Genomics, McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.,Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - J E J Rasko
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Cell and Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Marshall AD, Saeed S, Barrett L, Cooper CL, Treloar C, Bruneau J, Feld JJ, Gallagher L, Klein MB, Krajden M, Shoukry NH, Taylor LE, Grebely J. Restrictions for reimbursement of direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus infection in Canada: a descriptive study. CMAJ Open 2016; 4:E605-E614. [PMID: 28018873 PMCID: PMC5173474 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20160008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Canada, interferon-free, direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C virus (HCV) regimens are costly. This presents challenges for universal drug coverage of the estimated 220 000 people with chronic HCV infection nationwide. The study objective was to appraise criteria for reimbursement of 4 HCV direct-acting antivirals in Canada. METHODS We reviewed the reimbursement criteria for simeprevir, sofosbuvir, ledipasvir-sofosbuvir and paritaprevir-ritonavir-ombitasvir plus dasabuvir in the 10 provinces and 3 territories. Data were extracted from April 2015 to June 2016. The primary outcomes extracted from health ministerial websites were: 1) minimum fibrosis stage required, 2) drug and alcohol use restrictions, 3) HIV coinfection restrictions and 4) prescriber type restrictions. RESULTS Overall, 85%-92% of provinces/territories limited access to patients with moderate fibrosis (Meta-Analysis of Histologic Data in Viral Hepatitis stage F2 or greater, or equivalent). There were no drug and alcohol use restrictions; however, several criteria (e.g., active injection drug use) were left to the discretion of the physician. Quebec did not reimburse simeprevir and sofosbuvir for people coinfected with HIV; no restrictions were found in the remaining jurisdictions. Prescriber type was restricted to specialists in up to 42% of provinces/territories. INTERPRETATION This review of criteria of reimbursement of HCV direct-acting antivirals in Canada showed substantial interjurisdictional heterogeneity. The findings could inform health policy and support the development and adoption of a national HCV strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Sahar Saeed
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Lisa Barrett
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Curtis L Cooper
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Carla Treloar
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Julie Bruneau
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Jordan J Feld
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Lesley Gallagher
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Marina B Klein
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Mel Krajden
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Naglaa H Shoukry
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Lynn E Taylor
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute (Marshall, Grebely), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Saeed), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Klein), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Faculty of Medicine (Barrett), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Medicine (Cooper), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Centre for Social Research in Health (Treloar), UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Bruneau, Shoukry), Montréal, Que.; Liver Centre (Feld), Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network/University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Vancouver Coastal Health (Gallagher); BC Centre for Disease Control (Krajden), Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Taylor), Brown University, Providence, RI
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van Geldermalsen M, Wang Q, Nagarajah R, Marshall AD, Thoeng A, Gao D, Ritchie W, Feng Y, Bailey CG, Deng N, Harvey K, Beith JM, Selinger CI, O'Toole SA, Rasko JEJ, Holst J. ASCT2/SLC1A5 controls glutamine uptake and tumour growth in triple-negative basal-like breast cancer. Oncogene 2016; 35:3201-8. [PMID: 26455325 PMCID: PMC4914826 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 373] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alanine, serine, cysteine-preferring transporter 2 (ASCT2; SLC1A5) mediates uptake of glutamine, a conditionally essential amino acid in rapidly proliferating tumour cells. Uptake of glutamine and subsequent glutaminolysis is critical for activation of the mTORC1 nutrient-sensing pathway, which regulates cell growth and protein translation in cancer cells. This is of particular interest in breast cancer, as glutamine dependence is increased in high-risk breast cancer subtypes. Pharmacological inhibitors of ASCT2-mediated transport significantly reduced glutamine uptake in human breast cancer cell lines, leading to the suppression of mTORC1 signalling, cell growth and cell cycle progression. Notably, these effects were subtype-dependent, with ASCT2 transport critical only for triple-negative (TN) basal-like breast cancer cell growth compared with minimal effects in luminal breast cancer cells. Both stable and inducible shRNA-mediated ASCT2 knockdown confirmed that inhibiting ASCT2 function was sufficient to prevent cellular proliferation and induce rapid cell death in TN basal-like breast cancer cells, but not in luminal cells. Using a bioluminescent orthotopic xenograft mouse model, ASCT2 expression was then shown to be necessary for both successful engraftment and growth of HCC1806 TN breast cancer cells in vivo. Lower tumoral expression of ASCT2 conferred a significant survival advantage in xenografted mice. These responses remained intact in primary breast cancers, where gene expression analysis showed high expression of ASCT2 and glutamine metabolism-related genes, including GLUL and GLS, in a cohort of 90 TN breast cancer patients, as well as correlations with the transcriptional regulators, MYC and ATF4. This study provides preclinical evidence for the feasibility of novel therapies exploiting ASCT2 transporter activity in breast cancer, particularly in the high-risk basal-like subgroup of TN breast cancer where there is not only high expression of ASCT2, but also a marked reliance on its activity for sustained cellular proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M van Geldermalsen
- Origins of Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Q Wang
- Origins of Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Nagarajah
- Origins of Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A D Marshall
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Thoeng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - D Gao
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - W Ritchie
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Y Feng
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C G Bailey
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - N Deng
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Harvey
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J M Beith
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - C I Selinger
- Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S A O'Toole
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J E J Rasko
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Cell and Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Holst
- Origins of Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Associate, Origins of Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Locked Bag 6, Newtown, New South Wales 2042, Australia. E-mail:
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Marshall AD, Micallef M, Erratt A, Telenta J, Treloar C, Everingham H, Jones SC, Bath N, How-Chow D, Byrne J, Harvey P, Dunlop A, Jauncey M, Read P, Collie T, Dore GJ, Grebely J. Liver disease knowledge and acceptability of non-invasive liver fibrosis assessment among people who inject drugs in the drug and alcohol setting: The LiveRLife Study. Int J Drug Policy 2015; 26:984-91. [PMID: 26256938 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with baseline knowledge of HCV and liver disease, acceptability of transient elastography (TE) assessment (FibroScan(®)), and willingness and intent to receive HCV treatment among persons with a history of injection drug use participating in a liver health promotion campaign. METHODS The LiveRLife campaign involved three phases: (1) campaign resource development; (2) campaign resource testing; and (3) campaign implementation. Participants were enrolled in an observational cohort study with recruitment at four clinics - one primary health care facility, two OST clinics, and one medically supervised injecting centre - in Australia between May and October 2014. Participants received educational material, nurse clinical assessment, TE assessment, dried blood spot testing, and completed a knowledge survey. RESULTS Of 253 participants (mean age 43 years), 68% were male, 71% had injected in the past month, and 75% self-reported as HCV positive. Median knowledge score was 16/23. In adjusted analysis, less than daily injection (AOR 5.01; 95% CI, 2.64-9.51) and no daily injection in the past month (AOR 3.54; 95% CI, 1.80-6.94) were associated with high knowledge (≥16). TE was the most preferred method both pre- (66%) and post-TE (89%) compared to liver biopsy and blood sample. Eighty-eight percent were 'definitely willing' or 'somewhat willing' to receive HCV treatment, and 56% intended to start treatment in the next 12 months. Approximately 68% had no/mild fibrosis (F0/F1, ≥2.5 to ≤7.4kPa), 13% moderate fibrosis (F2, ≥7.5 to ≤9.4kPa), 10% severe fibrosis (F3, ≥9.5 to ≤12.4kPa), and 9% had cirrhosis (F4, ≥12.5kPa). CONCLUSION Liver disease and HCV knowledge was moderate. High acceptability of TE by PWID provides strong evidence for the inclusion of TE in HCV-related care, and could help to prioritise HCV treatment for those at greatest risk of liver disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia.
| | - M Micallef
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia
| | - A Erratt
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia
| | - J Telenta
- Centre for Health and Social Research, Australian Catholic University, VIC, Australia
| | - C Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia
| | - H Everingham
- NSW Users and AIDS Association, Inc., NSW, Australia
| | - S C Jones
- Centre for Health and Social Research, Australian Catholic University, VIC, Australia
| | - N Bath
- NSW Users and AIDS Association, Inc., NSW, Australia
| | - D How-Chow
- St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - J Byrne
- Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League, ACT, Australia
| | | | - A Dunlop
- University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - M Jauncey
- Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League, ACT, Australia
| | - P Read
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia; Kirketon Road Centre, NSW, Australia
| | - T Collie
- Coffs Harbour Drug and Alcohol Service, NSW, Australia
| | - G J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia
| | - J Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, NSW, Australia
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Marshall AD, Bayes HK, Bardgett J, Wedderburn S, Kerr KM, Currie GP. Survival from malignant mesothelioma: where are we now? J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2015; 45:123-6. [DOI: 10.4997/jrcpe.2015.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Sperrin M, Marshall AD, Higgins V, Buchan IE, Renehan AG. Slowing down of adult body mass index trend increases in England: a latent class analysis of cross-sectional surveys (1992-2010). Int J Obes (Lond) 2013; 38:818-24. [PMID: 23995474 DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2013.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of excess body weight, commonly measured as body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg m(-2), has increased substantially in many populations worldwide over the past three decades, but the rate of increase has slowed down in some western populations. OBJECTIVE We address the hypothesis that the slowing down of BMI trend increases in England reflects a majority sub-population resistant to further BMI elevation. DESIGN Pseudo-panel data derived from annual cross-sectional surveys, the Health Surveys for England (1992-2010). Trends in median BMI values were explored using regression models with splines, and gender-specific mixture model (latent class analysis) were fit to take an account of increasing BMI distribution variance with time and identify hidden subgroups within the population. SUBJECTS BMI was available for 164 155 adults (men: 76 382; women: 87 773). RESULTS Until 2001, the age-adjusted yearly increases in median BMI were 0.140 and 0.139 kg m(-2) for men and women, respectively, decreasing thereafter to 0.073 and 0.055 kg m(-2) (differences between time periods, both P-values<0.0001). The mixture model identified two components--a normal BMI and a high BMI sub-population--the proportions for the latter were 23.5% in men and 33.7% in women. The remaining normal BMI populations were 'resistant' with minimal increases in mean BMI values over time. By age, mean BMI values in the normal BMI sub-population increased greatest between 20 and 34 years for men; for women, the increases were similar throughout age groups (slope differences, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION In England, recent slowing down of adult BMI trend increases can be explained by two sub-populations--a high BMI sub-population getting 'fatter' and a majority 'resistant' normal BMI sub-population. These findings support a targeted, rather than a population-wide, policy to tackle the determinants of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sperrin
- Institute of Population Health, Medical Research Council Health eResearch Centre (HeRC), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A D Marshall
- CCSR, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - V Higgins
- CCSR, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - I E Buchan
- Institute of Population Health, Medical Research Council Health eResearch Centre (HeRC), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A G Renehan
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Medical Research Council Health eResearch Centre (HeRC), University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Couturier LIE, Rohner CA, Richardson AJ, Pierce SJ, Marshall AD, Jaine FRA, Townsend KA, Bennett MB, Weeks SJ, Nichols PD. Unusually high levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in whale sharks and reef manta rays. Lipids 2013; 48:1029-34. [PMID: 23975574 PMCID: PMC3779593 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-013-3829-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid (FA) signature analysis has been increasingly used to assess dietary preferences and trophodynamics in marine animals. We investigated FA signatures of connective tissue of the whale shark Rhincodon typus and muscle tissue of the reef manta ray Manta alfredi. We found high levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), dominated by arachidonic acid (20:4n-6; 12–17 % of total FA), and comparatively lower levels of the essential n-3 PUFA—eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; ~1 %) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; 3–10 %). Whale sharks and reef manta rays are regularly observed feeding on surface aggregations of coastal crustacean zooplankton during the day, which generally have FA profiles dominated by n-3 PUFA. The high levels of n-6 PUFA in both giant elasmobranchs raise new questions about the origin of their main food source.
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Affiliation(s)
- L I E Couturier
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia,
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