Enhancing Hepatitis C Virus Testing, Linkage to Care, and Treatment Commencement in Hospitals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - Summary - MDSpire
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Enhancing Hepatitis C Virus Testing, Linkage to Care, and Treatment Commencement in Hospitals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
To assess the effectiveness of hospital-led interventions on HCV testing, linkage to care, and treatment initiation compared to usual care, including historical controls.
RNA testing uptake was also significantly increased (pOR 10.65 [95% CI, 1.70–66.50]).
Linkage to care improved with interventions (pOR 1.75 [95% CI, 1.10–2.79]).
Automated opt-out testing and reflex RNA testing showed the highest increases in testing uptake.
No intervention was effective across all care cascade steps.
Interpretation:
Automated testing methods enhance HCV testing rates in hospitals but do not sufficiently improve linkage to treatment, indicating a need for specific additional strategies.
Limitations:
High heterogeneity in study outcomes and methodologies.
Limited generalizability due to exclusion of community-based interventions.
Potential publication bias affecting the results.
Conclusion:
While hospital-led interventions can improve HCV testing rates, further exploration of strategies to enhance linkage to treatment is essential for effective HCV management.
