Expansion of Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection by Task Shifting to Community-Based Nonspecialist Providers: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has resulted in high rates of disease cure; however, not enough specialists currently are available to provide care.

Objective

To determine the efficacy of HCV treatment independently provided by nurse practitioners (NPs), primary care physicians (PCPs), or specialist physicians using DAA therapy.

Design

Nonrandomized, open-label clinical trial initiated in 2015. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02339038).

Setting

13 urban, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the District of Columbia.

Patients

A referred sample of 600 patients, of whom 96% were black, 69% were male, 82% were treatment naive, and 20% had cirrhosis. Seventy-two percent of the patients had HCV genotype 1

SUBMITTER: Kattakuzhy S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5736381 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature