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Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of the presentation participants will be able to rank order hepatitis C follow-up services by likelihood of receipt.
Background:
Anecdotal reports from local health department (LHD) nurses indicate that some persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection do not obtain follow-up services, such as liver function tests, hepatitis vaccines, liver biopsy or treatment, because they lack health insurance. Information on access to health care and receipt of follow-up services is not routinely collected by LHDs.
Methods:
LHD staff collected data on access to health care and receipt of follow-up services from persons with HCV infection who were reported to the LHD between June 1, 2004 and July 31, 2004. Study inclusion criteria were having a Wisconsin address, not living in a state or federal correctional institution, and having confirmed HCV infection.
Results:
LHDs submitted data collection forms on 314 (91%) persons, of whom 253 (81%) were successfully contacted and interviewed. Of these, 172 (68%) were male, 191 (69%) were 40-59 years of age, (68%) were white, 202 (80%) had some form of health insurance coverage, and 201 (79%) had received at least one follow-up service. Receiving no services was associated with being uninsured (RR=1.44, 95% CI=1.14, 1.82). Among insured persons, the most frequently received services were liver function tests (N=147, 73%), information on preventing spread of HCV (N=133, 66%), and information on decreasing the likelihood of complications (N=123, 61%). The least frequently received services were hepatitis B vaccine (N=62, 31%), liver biopsies (N=60, 30%), treatment (N=48, 24%), and hepatitis A vaccine (N=45, 22%).
Conclusions:
These results indicate that receipt of follow-up services is associated with having health insurance. However, even among the insured, receipt of hepatitis vaccines is infrequent. Clinicians should offer hepatitis vaccines to susceptible persons with HCV infection to prevent complications that infections with these hepatitis viruses might cause.
See more of Poster Session #2
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference