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Abstract Details
Knowledge of hepatitis C and awareness of reinfection risk among people who successfully completed direct acting antiviral therapy
PLoS One. 2022 Mar 23;17(3):e0265811. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265811. eCollection 2022.
Kiana Yazdani1, Katerina Dolguikh1, Wendy Zhang1, Sara Shayegi-Nik12, Jessica Ly1, Shaughna Cooper1, Jason Trigg1, Sophia Bartlett34, Rolando Barrios13, Julio S G Montaner1, Kate Salters15
Author information
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada.
Experimental Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) education may be changing following the simplification of HCV treatment and emergence of direct acting antiviral (DAA). We aimed to characterize HCV knowledge among people who recently completed DAA therapy.
Methods: The Per-SVR (Preservation of Sustained Virologic Response) is a prospective cohort of patients who achieved a sustained virologic response upon successful completion of DAA therapy. The per-SVR study provided the sampling frame of participants who completed a psychometrically validated 19-item HCV knowledge scale at cohort entry (n = 227). To score the questionnaire, for each correct response one point was awarded, with no point for incorrect response. We assessed mean HCV knowledge score in the overall sample and mutually exclusive populations: people who inject drug (PWID) (n = 71); people with co-occurring HIV (n = 23); PWID and co-occurring HIV (n = 29), and others (n = 104) Using a latent class analysis based on distal outcome, we identified unobserved subgroups and assessed HCV knowledge amongst them.
Results: Total mean (SD) percent of correct responses were 83 (11) in the overall sample; 83 (10) in PWID; 79 (12) in people with co-occurring HIV; 81 (10) in PWID and co-occurring HIV, and 84 (11) in rest of the sample Three latent groups were identified: baby boomers who ever experienced homelessness (n = 126); women sex workers who ever experienced homelessness (n = 68); men who inject drug, ever experienced homelessness and had ever diagnosis of mental health disorders (n = 18). Mean percent of correct responses were 85 (8), 82 (11), 85 (10), in latent class 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Conclusion: Patients successfully treated with DAAs had a high HCV knowledge. High knowledge and awareness of reinfection among complex patient groups often facing barriers to HCV care is encouraging and emphasizes the positive outcomes of universal access to treatment.