HepCATT (DTC) v2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of interventions designed to increase diagnosis and treatment of patients with hepatitis C virus infection in drug treatment settings
IRAS ID
160581
Contact name
William L Irving
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
This is a pilot study aimed at increasing testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection within drug treatment centres (DTC) and improving levels of onward referral of newly diagnosed patients for assessment and treatment. DTC's deal with a section of the population that have high levels of HCV but this population, on the whole, does not engage with available treatment pathways.
The intervention will take place in three drug treatment centres at separate geographical locations, along with 5 control sites in which no intervention takes place. The primary end points are increased case finding, increased referral and increased engagement of the DTC service users with local secondary care.
The intervention itself will be complex with multiple elements.
The key element to the intervention will be the appointment of a HCV facilitator at each of the sites, ideally a specialist nurse, for a period of 18 months (part-time).
The nurse/facilitator and research team will help with key intervention strategies such as coordinating and developing education and training of drug workers, enhanced patient referral, recruitment and training peer support teams, advocate for the introduction of dried blood spot testing, and streamline service provision so that HCV assessment and treatment is brought as close as possible to the patient.
Also, there will be the provision of peer support via the Hepatitis C trust, to set up educational programs, peer champions and buddying systems to encourage service users to access health care service provision.
The research team will retrieve aggregate data of testing, referral and engagement with secondary care rates (pre intervention and post intervention) but only the current service providers will have access to any patient identifiable information.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0016
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion