Ask A Friend V1.0 27/02/2018
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A respondent driven sampling study to identify the hidden population of former intravenous drug users with hepatitis C infection who are no longer in contact with services. "Ask a Friend"
IRAS ID
218921
Contact name
John/F Dillon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 20 days
Research summary
Hepatitis C Virus, (HCV), infection is a major health concern in the UK with up to 0.7% of the population infected. At best, 25% of those infected will clear the infection spontaneously, though for those who develop a chronic infection, they may go onto to develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancers.
Over the last decade, morbidity and mortality from HCV has increased in the UK as people who acquired their infections decades earlier progress to advanced liver disease. Whereas people in contact with drug services can be targeted, by definition, those not in current contact with services are not likely to be recruited by standard targeting methods. The introduction of efficient testing methods as well as highly effective oral treatments for hepatitis C means that identifying and treating these individuals has become a clinical priority: they should be offered a cure, before the effects of their hepatitis infection become irretrievable
This proposed study will test whether current drug users can identify former drug users who live within their Dundee communities and whether a peer-to-peer invitation to be tested for Hepatitis C is a successful way to help access former intravenous drug users (IDUs). Using a respondent driven sampling technique and an action research methodolgy, the social networks of former IDUs will be mapped and individuals not currently in contact with services encouraged to come forward for testing and potential treatment. The data obtained from these processes will be used to estimate the size of the local population. The social networks of the previous injecting networks will be visualised using an egocentric mapping technique and these data used to guide the delivery of services to access this hidden population. The recruitment of test subject by peers will be used to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection in this population group.REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
18/ES/0036
Date of REC Opinion
6 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion