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Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the effectiveness of a patient group education class on knowledge about hepatitis C virus (HCV).
2. Recognize differences in the educational approach used when addressing substance-use disorder (SUD) patients and patients seen in specialty care clinics.
3. Be familiar with the various HCV knowledge content areas that are usually addressed in a patient group education forum.
Background:
Veterans referred to HCV specialty care attended a VA hospital-based HCV group education class in either: (a) a gastroenterology/hepatology specialty medical care clinic (GI) or (b) a substance-use disorder (SUD) clinic. The GI class used a standardized presentation with slides, while the SUD class used more informal discussion education techniques tailored for an SUD population.
Methods:
Each participant anonymously completed a self-administered pre-test that included 41 true and false statements about HCV infection, natural history, risk factors for transmission, and treatment options. Demographic data also were collected. Subjects then participated in the 1-hour HCV education class, after which they took a post-test consisting of the same questions as the pre-test. Baseline scores and improvement in test scores were compared for patients in each treatment setting.
Results:
A total of 236 valid questionnaires were collected from patients educated in GI (n=149) and SUD (n=87) clinics. Change in HCV knowledge was measured in subjects who completed both the pre- and post-tests. GI patients scored significantly higher than SUD patients on the pre-test (p<0.05). However, both group showed significant improvement in their knowledge scores after attending the class (p<0.01), and post-test scores were not significantly different among the two groups.
Conclusions:
Both education formats appeared effective in communicating essential information about HCV and brought HCV knowledge to a level of parity between groups.
Web Page: www.hepatitis.va.gov/vahep?page=tp05-01-01-91
See more of E5 - Hepatitis C Education and Care for Veterans
See more of The 2005 National Viral Hepatitis Prevention Conference