Community-based HCV screening: knowledge and attitudes in a high risk urban population.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In an attempt to curtail the rising morbidity and mortality from undiagnosed
HCV (hepatitis C virus) in the United States, screening guidelines have been expanded
to high-risk individuals and persons born 1945-1965. Community-based screening may
be one strategy in which to reach such persons; however, the acceptance of HCV testing,
when many high-risk individuals may not have access to HCV specific medications, remains
unknown. METHODS: We set out to assess attitudes about HCV screening and knowledge
about HCV disease at several community-based testing sites that serve high-risk populations.
This assessment was paired with a brief HCV educational intervention, followed by
post-education evaluation. RESULTS: Participants (n = 140) were surveyed at five sites;
two homeless shelters, two drug rehabilitation centers, and a women's "drop-in" center.
Personal acceptance of HCV testing was almost unanimous, and 90% of participants reported
that they would still want to be tested even if they were unable to receive HCV treatment.
Baseline hepatitis C knowledge was poor; however, the brief educational intervention
significantly improved knowledge and increased acceptability of testing when medical
access issues were explicitly stated. CONCLUSIONS: Despite inconsistencies in access
to care and treatment, high-risk communities want to know their HCV status. Though
baseline HCV knowledge was poor in this population, a brief on-site educational intervention
improved both knowledge and acceptability of HCV testing and care. These data support
the establishment of programs that utilize community-based screening, and also provide
initial evidence for acceptance of the implementation of the recently expanded screening
guidelines among marginalized communities.
Type
Journal articleSubject
AdolescentAdult
Aged
Community Health Services
Female
Health Education
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Literacy
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C
Homeless Persons
Humans
Male
Mass Screening
Middle Aged
North Carolina
Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
United States
Urban Population
Young Adult
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/11641Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1186/1471-2334-14-74Publication Info
Norton, Brianna L; Voils, Corrine I; Timberlake, Sarah H; Hecker, Emily J; Goswami,
Neela D; Huffman, Kim M; ... Stout, Jason E (2014). Community-based HCV screening: knowledge and attitudes in a high risk urban population.
BMC Infect Dis, 14. pp. 74. 10.1186/1471-2334-14-74. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/11641.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Kim Marie Huffman
Associate Professor of Medicine
Determining the role of physical activity in modulating health outcomes (cardiovascular
disease risk) in persons with rheumatologic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, gout,
osteoarthritis) Integrating clinical rheumatology, basic immunology, metabolism,
and exercise science in order to reduce morbidity in individuals with arthritis Evaluating
relationships between circulating and intra-muscular metabolic intermediates and insulin
resistance in sedentary as well as indiv
Susanna Naggie
Professor of Medicine
Dr. Susanna Naggie completed her medical education at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
and her internal medicine training at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC), where
she also served as a Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. She completed her Infectious
Diseases (ID) fellowship training at Duke and then joined the faculty in the Division
of ID. She is a Professor of Medicine and currently holds joint appointments at the
Duke Clinical Research Institute and at the Durham Veterans Affa
Jason Eric Stout
Professor of Medicine
My research focuses on the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment of tuberculosis
and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. I am also interested in the impact of
HIV infection on mycobacterial infection and disease, and in examining health disparities
as they relate to infectious diseases, particularly in immigrant populations.
Corrine Ione Voils
Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine
Randomized trials of behavioral interventions; adherence to treatment regimens; spousal
support in chronic disease management, mixed research synthesis; measurement of self-reported
medication nonadherence
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