Clients' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing hepatitis C virus care in homeless shelters.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent among homeless persons, yet barriers continue to impede HCV testing and treatment in this population. We studied the experiences of homeless individuals related to accessing HCV care to inform the design of a shelter-based HCV prevention and treatment program.

Methods

Homeless shelter clients (10 women and 10 men) of a large shelter in San Francisco participated in gender segregated focus groups. Focus groups followed a semi-structured interview format, which assessed individual, program/system, and societal-level barriers and facilitators to universal HCV testing and linkage to HCV care. Focus group interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

We identified key barriers to HCV

SUBMITTER: Masson CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7260732 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature