Race and Hepatitis C Care Continuum in an Underserved Birth Cohort.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Birth cohort screening is recommended for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and underserved populations are disproportionally affected by HCV. Little is known about the influence of race on the HCV care continuum in this population. OBJECTIVE:To assess the cascade of HCV care in a large racially diverse and underserved birth cohort. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study using electronic medical record data abstracted until August 31, 2017. PATIENTS:34,810 patients born between 1945 and 1965 engaged in primary care between October 1, 2014, and October 31, 2016, within the safety-net clinics of the San Francisco Health Network. MAIN MEASURES:Rate of hepatitis C testing, hepatitis C treatment, and response to therapy. RESULTS:Cohort characteristics were as follows: median age 59 years, 57.6% male, 25.5% White (20.6% Black, 17.7% Latino, 33.0% Asian/Pacific Islander (API), 2% other), and 32.6% preferred a non-English language. 99.7% had an HCV test (95.4% HCV antibody, 4.3% HCVRNA alone). Among HCV antibody-positive patients (N?=?4587), 22.9% were not tested for confirmatory HCVRNA. Among viremic patients (N?=?3673), 20.8% initiated HCV therapy, 90.6% achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) and 8.1% did not have a SVR test. HCV screening and treatment were highest in APIs (98.7 and 34.7% respectively; p?

SUBMITTER: Kim NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6816604 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature