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Gonzalez Corro LA, Zook K, Landry M, Rosecrans A, Harris R, Gaskin D, Falade-Nwulia O, Page KR, Lucas GM. An Analysis of Social Determinants of Health and Their Implications for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in People Who Inject Drugs: The Case of Baltimore. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae107. [PMID: 38567197 PMCID: PMC10986855 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sixty-eight percent of the nearly 3.5 million people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States are people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite effective treatments, uptake remains low in PWID. We examined the social determinants of health (SDoH) that affect the HCV care cascade. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 720 PWID in a cluster-randomized trial. We recruited PWID from 12 drug-affected areas in Baltimore. Inclusion criteria were injection in the prior month or needle sharing in the past 6 months. Intake data consisted of a survey and HCV testing. Focusing on SDoH, we analyzed self-report of (1) awareness of HCV infection (in those with active or previously cured HCV) and (2) prior HCV treatment (in the aware subgroup). We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression for statistical analyses. Results The 342 participants were majority male and Black with a median age of 52 years. Women were more likely to be aware of their status but less likely to be treated. Having a primary care provider and HIV-positive status were associated with increased awareness and treatment. Unhoused people had 51% lower odds of HCV treatment. People who reported that other PWID had shared their HCV status with them had 2.3-fold higher odds of awareness of their own status. Conclusions Further study of gender disparities in HCV treatment access is needed. Increased social support was associated with higher odds of HCV treatment, suggesting an area for future interventions. Strategies to identify and address SDoH are needed to end HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie Zook
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Miles Landry
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Amanda Rosecrans
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Harris
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Darrell Gaskin
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Gutiérrez-Rojas L, de la Gándara Martín JJ, García Buey L, Uriz Otano JI, Mena Á, Roncero C. Patients with severe mental illness and hepatitis C virus infection benefit from new pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals: Results of a literature review. GASTROENTEROLOGIA Y HEPATOLOGIA 2023; 46:382-396. [PMID: 35718017 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem that can results in cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and even death. HCV infection is 3-20-fold more prevalent among patients with versus without severe mental illness (SMI), such as major depressive disorder, personality disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Treatment options for HCV were formerly based on pegylated interferon alpha, which is associated with neuropsychiatric adverse events, and this contributed to the exclusion of patients with SMI from HCV treatment, elimination programmes, and clinical trials. Moreover, the assumption of poor adherence, scant access to healthcare and the stigma and vulnerability of this population emerged as barriers and contributed to the low rates of treatment and efficacy. METHODS This paper reviews the literature published between December 2010 and December 2020 exploring the epidemiology of HCV in patients with SMI, and vice versa, the effect of HCV infection, barriers to the management of illness in these patients, and benefits of new therapeutic options with pangenotypic direct antiviral agents (DAAs). RESULTS The approval of DAAs has changed the paradigm of HCV infection treatment. DAAs have proven to be an equally efficacious and safe option that improves quality of life (QoL) in patients SMI. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of the consequences of the HCV infection and the benefits of treatment with new pangenotypic DAAs among psychiatrists can increase screening, referral and treatment of HCV infection in patients with SMI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luisa García Buey
- Gastroenterology Department, Liver Unit, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IIS-IP), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan I Uriz Otano
- Gastroenterology Department, Liver Unit, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Álvaro Mena
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Service, Clinical Virology Group, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC)-Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidade da Coruña, Coruña, Spain
| | - Carlos Roncero
- Psychiatry Service, University of Salamanca Health Care Complex and Psychiatric Unit, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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3
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Garvey CM, Jones R. The role of stigma and trauma in hepatitis C virus treatment in veterans: Applying the common-sense model. Public Health Nurs 2019; 36:829-835. [PMID: 31583773 DOI: 10.1111/phn.12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), a blood borne pathogen capable of causing severe liver disease, disproportionately affects veterans in the United States. While there are antiviral medications to treat HCV, stigma and trauma in this population may lead to avoidance of care. Those veterans who do undergo treatment have certain illness representations about HCV and its treatment. They undergo treatment even while facing stigma and trauma. The Common-Sense Model may be useful in elucidating how such representations, when matched to an appropriate illness prototype, may inform an action plan of how to respond to HCV. An exploration of the illness representations among veterans with HCV, and the effects of stigma and trauma on these representations, may help to explain how they exercise the choice to undergo treatment and may inform interventions to encourage treatment in veterans who have yet to do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey M Garvey
- School of Nursing, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rachel Jones
- School of Nursing, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
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Voils CI, King HA, Thorpe CT, Blalock DV, Kronish IM, Reeve BB, Boatright C, Gellad ZF. Content Validity and Reliability of a Self-Report Measure of Medication Nonadherence in Hepatitis C Treatment. Dig Dis Sci 2019; 64:2784-2797. [PMID: 31037593 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-019-05621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonadherence to direct-acting agents (DAAs) for hepatitis C (HCV) decreases viral response. To measure nonadherence to DAAs, a reliable, valid, and easily implemented method is needed. AIMS The goals of this study were to refine a previously validated (in patients with hypertension) self-report measure of extent of nonadherence and reasons for nonadherence in the context of DAAs and to obtain initial evidence of content validity and reliability. METHODS Phase I involved two focus groups with patients with HCV (n = 12) and one focus group with prescribers of HCV medications (n = 6) to establish content validity of reasons for nonadherence. Subsequent cognitive interviews with patients (n = 11) were conducted to refine items. Phase II was a prospective cohort study involving weekly administration of the refined measure by telephone to patients (n = 75) who are prescribed DAAs to evaluate reliability and consistency with viral response. RESULTS In the cohort study, internal consistency ranged from acceptable (α = .69) to very high (α = 1.00) across time points and was quite high on average (α = .91). Across the 75 participants, there were 895 measurement occasions; of those, nonadherence was reported on only 27 occasions (3%), all of which occurred in the first 12 weeks. These 27 occasions represented 19 (26%) different individuals. At 12 weeks, 1 (1%) of patients had a detectable HCV viral load; at 12-24 weeks posttreatment, 4 (5%) had a sustained viral response. Nonadherent patients reported an average of 1.41 reasons for nonadherence. CONCLUSIONS This multi-method study established content validity of reasons for nonadherence and reliability of extent of nonadherence. High rates of adherence and viral response were consistent with previous studies using other nonadherence measurement methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrine I Voils
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI, 53705, USA. .,Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, K6/100 Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
| | - Heather A King
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 411 W. Chapel Hill St., Suite 600, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.,Department of Population and Health Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Box 104023, 2200 West Main St, Office #771, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.,Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Carolyn T Thorpe
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Dan V Blalock
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 411 W. Chapel Hill St., Suite 600, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ian M Kronish
- Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University Medical Center, 622 W. 168th Street, PH9-311, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Bryce B Reeve
- Department of Population and Health Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Box 104023, 2200 West Main St, Office #771, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Colleen Boatright
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 411 W. Chapel Hill St., Suite 600, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Ziad F Gellad
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 411 W. Chapel Hill St., Suite 600, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.,Duke Clinical Research Institute, 2400 Pratt Street, Rm 0311 Terrace Level, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
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The Effect of Psychosocial Factors on Success Rates of Hepatitis C Treatment. PSYCHOSOMATICS 2017; 58:624-632. [PMID: 28870488 DOI: 10.1016/j.psym.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Our study was to determine which psychosocial factors interfere with patients reaching sustained virologic response (SVR), a marker for hepatitis C virus eradication. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed between January 6, 2015 and February 24, 2016. The primary outcome was to assess which social and psychological factors may interfere with patients reaching SVR. SVR was defined as having an undetectable viral load 12 weeks after the completion of the treatment regimen. Bivariate analysis was followed by a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine significant factors for SVR. Depression and generalized anxiety disorder were included. RESULTS A total of 204 patients completed treatment within the designated time frame and were included in the final analysis. Social or home support was associated with SVR (odds ratio = 7.0, p = 0.02). Cocaine use was also a significant factor predicting SVR. Historical cocaine use compared with active cocaine use during treatment was associated with an odds ratio of SVR of 39.3 (p = 0.04). Interestingly, historical cocaine use vs no history of cocaine use did not influence SVR. No history of depression or generalized anxiety disorder was associated with a higher rate of SVR (odds ratio = 10.4, p = 0.05). No depression/generalized anxiety disorder compared with untreated depression/generalized anxiety disorder was associated with a 13.1 times greater rate of SVR (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION It is important to recognize and address psychosocial factors related to mental illness and active cocaine addictions before hepatitis C virus treatment. Furthermore, patients without home or social support are at greater risk for failing treatment, thus strategies to provide support during treatment are necessary.
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