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Collaboration improves HBV screening, linkage-to-care for Asians

Researchers from UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center engaged organizations in Sacramento County, California to link Asian populations to hepatitis B virus infection care. They found that more screening led to more linkage-to-care, in turn preventing spread of infection and liver disease, according to research published in Public Health Reports.

Julie Dang, MPH, director of community engagement and outreach at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues created a community-based HBV screening effort by targeting outreach to Asian American populations. The researchers collaborated with local organizations linked to these type of populations to promote UC Davis student-run clinics and HBV screening events. The goal was to test at least 1,000 foreign-born Asian adults living in Sacramento County for HBV who had not previously been screened and counsel 90% of those who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

Julie Dang, MPH

“We realized a one-size fits all approach would not work because each ethnic group faced different barriers when it came to screening,” Dang said in a press release. “So we created different campaigns to target each of the communities and came up with the best screening plan for the individual populations.”

During the course of 1 year, researchers screened 1,004 Asian American adults at 28 different events. Of those screened, 242 were Chinese, 223 were Hmong, 283 were Korean, 233 were Vietnamese and 23 were other. A total of 7.6% tested positive for HBV (n = 76). Sixty-seven percent of those screened and positive for HBV received follow-up counseling. Other individuals who were negative but at high risk for the infection (n = 220) received counseling as well to instruct them on how to obtain HBV vaccination through their primary care provider or the HBV vaccination program sponsored by UC David Health System.

The Hmong patients had the highest rate of infection across all Asian groups (11.2%). When separated by sex, the Hmong men (14.3%) and Vietnamese men (13.6%) had the highest rate of HBV.

The researchers were unable to confirm whether or not every person who tested positive for HBV received the proper follow-up care.

“These findings demonstrate the receptivity of diverse Asian communities to hepatitis B screening and counseling,” the researchers concluded. – by Melinda Stevens

Disclosure: Healio.com/Hepatology was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.