The summaries are free for public
use. The Chronic Liver Disease
Foundation will continue to add and
archive summaries of articles deemed
relevant to CLDF by the Board of
Trustees and its Advisors.
Abstract Details
Hepatitis C Virus Screening: Factors Associated With Test Completion in a Large Academic Health Care System
Public Health Rep. 2022 Nov-Dec;137(6):1136-1145. doi: 10.1177/00333549211054085.Epub 2021 Oct 25.
1311308 Department of Public Health, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
2Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
325301 Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
433697 Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
5Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
6Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
7Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
8Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
9Department of Family Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Abstract
Objectives: In 2012, onetime hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening was recommended for all baby boomers (people born during 1945-1965) in the United States, but only 4.0%-12.9% of baby boomers have ever had a screening ordered by a health care provider. This study examined the HCV screening prevalence among adult patients in a large academic health care system and assessed factors associated with the completion of screening when ordered for baby boomers.
Methods: We defined HCV screening completion as the completion of an HCV antibody test when it was ordered. We used electronic health records to examine HCV screening completion rates among adults (N = 106 630) from August 1, 2015, through July 31, 2020, by birth cohort. Among baby boomers whose health care provider ordered HCV screening, we examined frequency and percentages of HCV screening completion by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We conducted univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess factors associated with HCV screening completion among baby boomers.
Results: During the study period, 73.0% of baby boomers completed HCV screening when it was ordered. HCV completion did not differ by sex or race and ethnicity among baby boomers. Baby boomers with Medicare supplemental health insurance compared with commercial health insurance (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.87) and those seeing only advanced practice professionals compared with specialty care physicians (aOR = 2.24) were more likely to complete HCV screening when it was ordered.
Conclusions: Noncompletion of HCV screening is one of many barriers along the HCV treatment continuum. Our findings suggest a need for interventions targeting systems, health care providers, and patients to increase HCV screening rates in the United States.