TY - JOUR
T1 - Retrieval and re-evaluation of previously diagnosed chronic hepatitis C infections lost to medical follow-up in the Netherlands
AU - Heil, Jeanne
AU - Soufidi, Khalida
AU - Stals, Frans
AU - Frantzen, Hans
AU - Robroek-Schaecken, Astrid
AU - Bakker, C. Minke
AU - van Nunen, Annick B.
AU - Dukers-Muijrers, Nicole H. T. M.
AU - Hoebe, Christian J. P. A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was financially supported by grants of Gilead Sciences Netherlands B.V. (NL-2017-000245) and MSD (SDD-357861). Therefore, it was possible to offer the HCV-RNA tests free of charge. None of the sponsors had any role in the design or conduct of the project; in the collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; the preparation of the article; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - ObjectivesMany individuals previously diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are likely to be lost to medical follow-up and, therefore, remain untreated despite new highly effective drug treatment, direct acting antivirals. We aim to identify and retrieve these chronic HCV-infected individuals to re-evaluate them and offer treatment.MethodsPossible chronic HCV infections were identified from test results of the medical microbiological laboratory, notifications to the public health service, and the hospital registries over the past 15 years were checked in South Limburg, the Netherlands. Individuals were contacted based on the physician-patient relationship of the gastroenterologist or microbiologist (retrieval). Individuals were informed about the new treatment options, offered an HCV-RNA test, and if still positive, referred to the gastroenterologist for treatment (re-evaluation).ResultsIn total, 689 individuals with a positive anti-HCV test in the past were identified, 308 (45%) were eligible for retrieval, 90 (29%) of them were retrieved, 34 (38%) of those retrieved were re-evaluated, 19 (56%) of those tested were HCV-RNA positive, and 12 (63%) of these individuals were offered treatment.ConclusionDuring every step of the retrieval chain, many patients were lost. Nevertheless, with substantial effort, we were able to identify, retrieve, and positively re-evaluate a limited number of individuals with a possible chronic HCV infection who were lost to medical follow-up (19 patients). With this case-finding approach, we were able to prevent potential severe complications in these patients and contribute to a small step in the eradication of HCV in the Netherlands.
AB - ObjectivesMany individuals previously diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are likely to be lost to medical follow-up and, therefore, remain untreated despite new highly effective drug treatment, direct acting antivirals. We aim to identify and retrieve these chronic HCV-infected individuals to re-evaluate them and offer treatment.MethodsPossible chronic HCV infections were identified from test results of the medical microbiological laboratory, notifications to the public health service, and the hospital registries over the past 15 years were checked in South Limburg, the Netherlands. Individuals were contacted based on the physician-patient relationship of the gastroenterologist or microbiologist (retrieval). Individuals were informed about the new treatment options, offered an HCV-RNA test, and if still positive, referred to the gastroenterologist for treatment (re-evaluation).ResultsIn total, 689 individuals with a positive anti-HCV test in the past were identified, 308 (45%) were eligible for retrieval, 90 (29%) of them were retrieved, 34 (38%) of those retrieved were re-evaluated, 19 (56%) of those tested were HCV-RNA positive, and 12 (63%) of these individuals were offered treatment.ConclusionDuring every step of the retrieval chain, many patients were lost. Nevertheless, with substantial effort, we were able to identify, retrieve, and positively re-evaluate a limited number of individuals with a possible chronic HCV infection who were lost to medical follow-up (19 patients). With this case-finding approach, we were able to prevent potential severe complications in these patients and contribute to a small step in the eradication of HCV in the Netherlands.
KW - case-finding
KW - chronic hepatitis C
KW - direct acting antivirals
KW - disease eradication
KW - hepatitis C virus
KW - public health
KW - retrieval
KW - VIRUS-INFECTION
KW - MIGRANTS
KW - ASSOCIATION
KW - PREVALENCE
KW - SOFOSBUVIR
U2 - 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001593
DO - 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001593
M3 - Article
C2 - 31688310
SN - 0954-691X
VL - 32
SP - 851
EP - 856
JO - European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
JF - European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
IS - 7
ER -