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Abstract Details
Adherence to Hepatitis C Therapy in a Shelter-Based Education and Treatment Model Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness
Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 25;8(10):ofab488. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab488.eCollection 2021 Oct.
Jesse Powell1, Margaret Ricco1, Jessica Naugle2, Catherine Magee3, Hayat Hassan1, Carmen Masson4, Grace Braimoh1, Barry Zevin2, Mandana Khalili35
Author information
1Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
2Street Medicine and Shelter Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California, USA.
3Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California, USA.
4Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
5Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Abstract
Background: Medication adherence is a common reason for treatment deferment in persons experiencing homelessness. We evaluated adherence to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy following HCV education in a shelter-based care model.
Methods: Prospective study conducted at 4 homeless shelters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and San Francisco, California from November 2018 to January 2021. Sixty-three patients underwent HCV education and treatment. Multivariable modeling evaluated factors associated with (1) medication and (2) overall (composite score of medication, laboratory, and clinic visit) adherence.
Results: Median age was 56 years; 73% of participants were male, 43% were Black, 52% had psychiatric illness, and 81% used illicit drugs and 60% used alcohol in the past year. Following education, 52% were extremely confident in their ability to be adherent to HCV therapy. Medication adherence by patient and provider report was 88% and 48%, respectively, and 81% achieved HCV cure. Active alcohol use was associated with less confidence in medication adherence (43% vs 78%, P = .04). Older age was positively (coefficient = 0.3) associated with overall adherence to HCV treatment whereas prior therapy was associated with both medication (odds ratio, 0.08) and overall treatment (coefficient = -0.87) nonadherence.
Conclusions: Despite imperfect adherence, sustained virologic response rates were still high. Expanding opportunities to treat persons experiencing homelessness in a structured and supportive setting is critical to HCV elimination efforts.