Uptake of hepatitis C specialist services and treatment following diagnosis by dried blood spot in Scotland

TY - JOUR

T1 - Uptake of hepatitis C specialist services and treatment following diagnosis by dried blood spot in Scotland

AU - McAllister, Georgina

AU - Innes, Hamish

AU - Mcleod, Allan

AU - Dillon, John F.

AU - Hayes, Peter C.

AU - Fox, Ray

AU - Barclay, Stephen T.

AU - Templeton, Kate

AU - Aitken, Celia

AU - Gunson, Rory

AU - Goldberg, David

AU - Hutchinson, Sharon J.

N1 - Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2014/11

Y1 - 2014/11

N2 - Background Dried blood spot (DBS) testing for hepatitis C (HCV) was introduced to Scotland in 2009. This minimally invasive specimen provides an alternative to venipuncture and can overcome barriers to testing in people who inject drugs (PWID). Objectives The objective of this study was to determine rates and predictors of: exposure to HCV, attendance at specialist clinics and anti-viral treatment initiation among the DBS tested population in Scotland. Study design DBS testing records were deterministically linked to the Scottish HCV Clinical database prior to logistic regression analysis. Results In the first two years of usage in Scotland, 1322 individuals were tested by DBS of which 476 were found to have an active HCV infection. Linkage analysis showed that 32% had attended a specialist clinic within 12 months of their specimen collection date and 18% had begun anti-viral therapy within 18 months of their specimen collection date. A significantly reduced likelihood of attendance at a specialist clinic was evident amongst younger individuals (<35 years), those of unknown ethnic origin and those not reporting injecting drug use as a risk factor. Conclusion We conclude that DBS testing in non-clinical settings has the potential to increase diagnosis and, with sufficient support, treatment of HCV infection among PWID.

AB - Background Dried blood spot (DBS) testing for hepatitis C (HCV) was introduced to Scotland in 2009. This minimally invasive specimen provides an alternative to venipuncture and can overcome barriers to testing in people who inject drugs (PWID). Objectives The objective of this study was to determine rates and predictors of: exposure to HCV, attendance at specialist clinics and anti-viral treatment initiation among the DBS tested population in Scotland. Study design DBS testing records were deterministically linked to the Scottish HCV Clinical database prior to logistic regression analysis. Results In the first two years of usage in Scotland, 1322 individuals were tested by DBS of which 476 were found to have an active HCV infection. Linkage analysis showed that 32% had attended a specialist clinic within 12 months of their specimen collection date and 18% had begun anti-viral therapy within 18 months of their specimen collection date. A significantly reduced likelihood of attendance at a specialist clinic was evident amongst younger individuals (<35 years), those of unknown ethnic origin and those not reporting injecting drug use as a risk factor. Conclusion We conclude that DBS testing in non-clinical settings has the potential to increase diagnosis and, with sufficient support, treatment of HCV infection among PWID.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84908507517

U2 - 10.1016/j.jcv.2014.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.jcv.2014.09.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 25264306

SN - 1386-6532

VL - 61

SP - 359

EP - 364

JO - Journal of Clinical Virology

JF - Journal of Clinical Virology

IS - 3

ER -