Dataset Information

Acceptability and yield of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C virus in a Canadian population being screened for colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is recommended in patients born between 1945 and 1965 ("baby boomers") in the United States. Because these patients are often screened for colorectal cancer, dual screening for HCV may enhance case identification. Our objectives were to assess the acceptability and yield of screening for HCV among patients undergoing screening for colorectal cancer.

Methods

Patients referred for a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer completed an anonymous survey regarding the acceptability of screening for HCV, risk factors and prior testing. The impacts of demographics and risk factors for HCV on willingness to be screened were determined using logistic regression, and the stored sera of 483 patients who had undergone screening for colorectal cancer between February 2011 and August 2012 were tested for HCV antibodies.

Results

Among 1012 survey respondents (median age 56 yr; 911 [90.0%] were baby boomers, 880 [87.0%] were white and 223 [22.0%] were born outside Canada), 123 patients (12.2%) reported prior testing for HCV. HCV was previously diagnosed in 9 of these patients (0.9%, representing 1.0% of the patients who were baby boomers): 5 (55.6% of those diagnosed) reported risk factors. Excluding patients diagnosed with HCV, 903 (90.0%) respondents indicated that they would consent to testing of blood or saliva for HCV. After adjusting for age, sex and status of immigration, patients who were white (odds ratio [OR] 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81-6.32) and patients with risk factors (> 1 v. 0: OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.12-12.02) had a greater acceptance of screening. Among 483 patients screened for colorectal cancer, 3 were anti-HCV positive (0.6%, 95% CI 0.1%-1.8%), representing 0.8% (95% CI 0.2%-2.4%) of the patients who were baby boomers.

Interpretation

Acceptance of screening for HCV is high among patients undergoing screening for colorectal cancer in the Calgary area. However, the low prevalence of HCV suggests that the cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening in this population warrants evaluation.

SUBMITTER: Myers RP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4382029 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan-Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Acceptability and yield of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C virus in a Canadian population being screened for colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional study.

Myers Robert P RP Crotty Pam P Town Susanna S English Janine J Fonseca Kevin K Tellier Raymond R Swain Mark G MG McGregor S Elizabeth SE Heitman Steven J SJ Hilsden Robert J RJ

CMAJ open 20150113 1

<h4>Background</h4>Screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is recommended in patients born between 1945 and 1965 ("baby boomers") in the United States. Because these patients are often screened for colorectal cancer, dual screening for HCV may enhance case identification. Our objectives were to assess the acceptability and yield of screening for HCV among patients undergoing screening for colorectal cancer.<h4>Methods</h4>Patients referred for a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer complete ...[more]

PMID: 25844371

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundApproximately 0.7% of the Canadian population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and many individuals are unaware of their infection. Our objectives were to utilize an emergency department (ED) based point-of-care (POC) HCV screening test to describe our local population and estimate the proportion of high-risk patients in our population with undiagnosed HCV.MethodsA convenience sample of medically stable patients (≥18 years) presenting to a community ED in Calgary, AB, between April and July 2018 underwent rapid clinical screening for HCV risk factors, including history of injection drug use, healthcare in endemic countries, and other recognized criteria. High-risk patients were offered POC HCV testing. Antibody-positive patients underwent HCV-RNA testing and were linked to hepatology care. The primary outcome was the proportion of new HCV diagnoses in the high-risk population.ResultsOf the 999 patients screened by survey, 247 patients (24.7%) were high-risk and eligible for testing. Of these, 123 (49.8%) were from HCV-endemic countries, while 63 (25.5%) and 31 (12.6%) patients endorsed a history of incarceration and intravenous drug use (IVDU), respectively. A total of 144 (58.3%) eligible patients agreed to testing. Of these, 6 patients were POC-positive (4.2%, CI 0.9-7.4%); all 6 had antibodies detected on confirmatory lab testing and 4 had detectable HCV-RNA viral loads in follow-up. Notably, 103 (41.7%) patients declined POC testing. Interpretation. Among 144 high-risk patients who agreed to testing, the rate of undiagnosed HCV infection was 4.2%, and the rate of undiagnosed HCV infection with detectable viral load was 2.8%. Many patients with high-risk clinical criteria refused POC testing. It is unknown if tested and untested groups have the same disease prevalence. This study shows that ED HCV screening is feasible and that a small number of previously undiagnosed patients can be identified and linked to potentially life-changing care.

Dataset Information

Acceptability and yield of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C virus in a Canadian population being screened for colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional study.

Background

Methods

Results

Interpretation

Publications

Acceptability and yield of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C virus in a Canadian population being screened for colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets