Enhancing Hepatitis C Virus Testing, Linkage to Care, and Treatment Commencement in Hospitals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Hospital-led interventions significantly improve hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and RNA testing uptake compared to usual care.
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Automated opt-out testing and reflex RNA testing show the highest increases in HCV testing uptake and linkage to care.
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Linkage to care remains a challenge, as no intervention effectively increases uptake at all steps of the HCV care cascade.
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Many patients in hospitals do not receive HCV testing despite risk factors, leading to missed diagnosis and treatment opportunities.
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Simple and efficient interventions are needed to enhance HCV testing, diagnosis, and treatment in hospital settings.

Open Forum Infectious Diseases

by Rebecca Mathews, Claudia Shen, Michael W Traeger, Helen M O’Brien, Christine Roder, Margaret E Hellard, Joseph S Doyle
February 4, 2025

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