Mitigating the Risk of Infectious Diseases Among Rural Drug Users in Western North Carolina: Results of the Southern Appalachia Test, Link, Care (SA-TLC) Health Care Provider Survey.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To characterize how health care providers in western North Carolina (NC) manage patients with substance use disorders and to inform strategies for preventing injection drug use (IDU)-associated outbreaks of bloodborne infectious diseases.

Methods

We collected data on practice characteristics, provider sociodemographics, and attitudes and beliefs about hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), opioid use, and IDU via online survey. Providers in 8 counties of western NC were invited to participate by email. Results were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics.

Findings

Of 84 respondents participating between 30 July and 3 December 2018, 81% were practicing clinicians and 46% served a county identified as being vulnerable to IDU-ass

SUBMITTER: Hurt CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7102930 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature