Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of hepatitis C elimination by medical and preventive integration in hospital for the screening, treatment, and follow-up of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody-positive cases and provide a scientific basis and reference for formulating simple, feasible, and promotable strategies for eliminating the hazard of hepatitis C in hospital.
Methods A quasi-experimental before-after study was carried out in the People′s Hospital of Yuxi City in Yunnan province. The first phase was conducted from July to September 2023, led by the hospital to investigate 22 538 cases of HCV screening in the hospital. The second phase was conducted from October to December 2023 jointly by the hospital, center for disease control and prevention, civil affairs bureau to investigate 19 582 cases of HCV screening in the hospital. In this study, the data of HCV antibody screening, HCV RNA testing, HCV RNA positivity, HCV treatment completion for those receiving treatment, and follow-up 12 weeks post-treatment were collected regarding different genders, ages, and sample sources in the two phases. The effectiveness of HCV RNA testing, treatment, and follow-up were compared between the two phases.
Results In the People′s Hospital of Yuxi City from July to December 2023, the HCV antibody-positive rate was 0.79% (332/42 120) in HCV screening cases. The HCV RNA testing rate of HCV antibody-positive cases was 61.14% (203/332). The treatment rate of HCV RNA-positive cases was 64.42% (67/104), and the follow-up rate of 12 weeks post-treatment was 81.82% (54/66). The HCV antibody-positivity rate, HCV RNA testing rate of HCV RNA-positive cases, treatment rate of HCV RNA-positive cases, and follow-up rate of 12 weeks post-treatment in the first and second phases were 0.82% (185/22 538) and 0.75% (147/19 582), 36.76% (68/185) and 91.84% (135/147), 37.14% (13/35) and 78.26% (54/69), and 58.33% (7/12) and 87.04% (47/54), respectively. Excepted that the HCV antibody-positive rate showed no statistically significant difference between the two phases (P > 0.05), the HCV RNA testing rate of HCV RNA-positive cases, treatment rate of HCV RNA-positive cases, and follow-up rate of 12 weeks post-treatment in the second phase were higher than those in the first phase (all P < 0.05).
Conclusions The hepatitis C elimination by medical and preventive integration in hospital can significantly increase the HCV RNA testing rate, treatment rate, and follow-up rate of HCV RNA-positive cases, thus helping eliminate the hazards of hepatitis C in hospital.