Cost-effectiveness of Alternative Approaches to Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Initiation for Treatment-naive People Who Inject Drugs in Australia: A Model-based Economic Evaluation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Eliminating hepatitis C virus requires efficient testing and treatment strategies. We evaluated cost-effectiveness of alternative hepatitis C virus diagnosis and treatment initiation approaches for treatment-naive people who inject drugs attending Australian community settings.

Methods

We compared 7 strategies differing by use of antibody screening, laboratory, and/or point-of-care tests, and point of treatment commencement. Outcomes were treatment initiation and completion. We considered costs from a healthcare sector perspective at a 1-year time horizon. We used decision analytical models parameterized with publicly available estimates.

Results

Standard of care laboratory antibody then RNA testing on separate samples was cheapest but least effective. Labo

SUBMITTER: Bailie CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448928 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature