HepCATT: Qualitative Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Hepatitis C awareness to treatment: Qualitative assessment of an intervention in drug treatment services
IRAS ID
172257
Contact name
Magdalena Harris
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
216,000 people live with chronic HCV in the UK; approximately 100,000 are undiagnosed. HCV related morbidity and mortality will continue to rise unless HCV testing and treatment uptake increases. Over 90% of newly acquired chronic infections are among people who inject drugs (PWID). There is an urgent need for increased case finding, HCV testing and treatment engagement among this population – with drug treatment centres and primary care the optimum intervention points for accessing current and former PWID.
The purpose of the study is to inform and assess an intervention implemented as part of a larger, Department of Health funded research project. The aim of the overall project is to increase the testing, diagnosis, treatment referral and management of individuals at increased risk of HCV in primary care and drug treatment centres. The project will implement two interventions – one in primary care sites and one in specialist drug treatment settings. The interventions will comprise multiple components including: a HCV facilitator, peer support workers and dried blood spot testing. The qualitative study will assess the drug treatment intervention with a specific focus on the peer support component.
Qualitative data collection will comprise interviews, focus groups and observations with providers and service users at two drug treatment sites. Data collection will take place at two time points: at baseline (2 months before intervention) and at follow up (6-8 months after intervention) to explore: 1) pre-intervention context, testing and treatment barriers, and 2) perceived intervention accessibility, acceptability and impact. Thematic data analysis will focus on social and contextual factors facilitating and constraining testing and treatment uptake. Outcomes include recommendations for initial intervention implementation; assessment of scope for intervention scale up and transferability to other sites and informing measures for intervention monitoring and evaluation.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0062
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion