The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #39598

Shiela M. Strauss, PhD¹, Zdravko P. Vassilev, MD, MPH², Janetta Astone, PhD¹, and Don C Des Jarlais, PhD³. (1) National Development and Research Institutes, Inc, 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010, (212) 845-4409, shiela.strauss@ndri.org, (2) National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010, (3) National Development and Research Institutes; Beth Israel Med. Ctr, NYC, 71 West 23rd Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010

Drug users, especially those who inject drugs, are at great risk for contracting hepatitis C (HCV), and for suffering the health consequences related to HCV infection. Drug treatment programs are uniquely situated to provide HCV related services in education, testing, and medical monitoring and management to their patients. This paper describes the extent to which drug treatment programs are satisfied with their HCV related service provision, especially with regard to HCV antibody testing. The data were obtained from responses to a telephone survey conducted with managers of a large representative sample of drug-free outpatient (N=276), drug-free residential (N=129), and methadone maintenance (N=169) treatment programs located throughout the country. All of these programs are participating in the NIDA-funded study, “STOP HEPC.” While a majority of managers of methadone programs (76%) and drug free outpatient programs (62%) indicated that they would like to be doing more for their patients with regard to HCV related services, this was less the case in drug-free residential programs (38.8%). In all, among the 350 managers who reported that they would like to be providing more HCV related services, one third (including 40% of the methadone programs, 30% of the drug-free outpatient programs, and 28% of the drug-free residential programs) indicated that they would like to increase or improve their delivery of HCV antibody testing, especially by making it available to larger numbers of patients, offering it more frequently, or providing it on-site. Primary barriers identified were resource related, particularly involving limited funding, space, and staffing.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the extent to which drug treatment program managers are satisfied with their hepatitis C (HCV) related service provision, including education, testing, and medical monitoring and management of HCV+ patients.
• Describe differences, according to drug treatment modality, in the satisfaction of treatment program managers with the provision to their patients of HCV antibody testing.
• Identify the primary barriers to providing HCV antibody testing to drug treatment program patients.

Keywords: Hepatitis C, Drug Abuse Treatment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.