Author information
1 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
2 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. Donna_evon@med.unc.edu.
3 Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
4 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
5 Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
6 Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Department of Health Behaviors, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
7 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
8 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
9 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
10 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
11 Yale Liver Center and Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
12 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
13 Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hepatology, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The prevalence and risk factors for non-adherence to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in clinical practice settings are under-studied.
OBJECTIVES:
(1) To quantify DAA non-adherence in the total cohort and among subgroups with and without mental health conditions, alcohol use, and substance use, and (2) to investigate patient- and treatment-level risk factor non-adherence.
DESIGN:
Prospective, observational cohort study.
PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 1562 patients receiving DAAs between January 2016 and October 2017 at 11 US medical centers including academic and community practices.
MAIN MEASURES:
Self-reported medication non-adherence, defined as any missed doses in the past 7 days, surveyed early (T2: at 4 ± 2 weeks) and late in treatment (T3: 2-3 weeks prior to end of treatment). Non-adherence to post-treatment follow-up visits was defined as absence of lab results after DAA therapy completion.
KEY RESULTS:
Of 1447 patients, 162 (11%) reported non-adherence at T2 or T3. Medical records indicated 262 (17%) of the 1562 participants had not returned for post-treatment visits. At baseline, 37% of patients reported mental health conditions, 15% reported alcohol use, and 23% reported using substances in the previous year. Baseline characteristics associated with DAA non-adherence included alcohol use (OR 1.96), younger age (< 35 years vs. > 55 years: OR 3.40), non-white race (OR > 2.26), and DAA treatment cohort, but not substance use or mental health condition. Non-adherence to follow-up exhibited association with younger age and a higher baseline overall symptom burden. Among 1287 patients with evaluable sustained virologic response (SVR) data, 53 patients (4%) did not achieve SVR. The bivariate correlation between adherence and SVR was negligible (r = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS:
DAA non-adherence was low and SVR rates were high. Mental health conditions, substance use, and alcohol use should not disqualify patients from DAA therapy. Patients with alcohol use disorder before DAA therapy initiation may benefit from targeted on-treatment support.