VIDEO: Incremental changes in HCV screening, treatment could impact at-risk populations

In a model presented at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience, experts showed that at-risk populations could be positively impacted by incremental changes in hepatitis C screening and treatment strategies.

The CDC collaborative experience compared the NHANES population to the “non-NHANES” population, translating to a comparison between persons who have stable housing to those more at-risk transient populations.

“It’s in this population that they nicely demonstrated there is very little impact in the care cascade. The NHANES population had improvements in screening and linkage to care. The non-NHANES population had very minimal recognition of hepatitis C and, when it was recognized, very little traveling along the care cascade that would end in curative therapy,” Nancy S. Reau, MD, said in an interview with Healio.

The presenters modeled how to change screening and treatment strategies to impact this population.

“Universal screening was needed absolutely across the board in all states, but universal screening doesn’t mean you screen everyone on day 1. This universal screening strategy could be prolonged,” Reau said. “The annual screening rates did not have to be monumental to achieve incredible levels of recognition.”

Reau explained that even current treatment strategies were sufficient per guidelines, but to achieve WHO goals, they may need more significant changes. The tool presented helped states measure their individual strategies to best meet the global goals of improved morbidity and mortality.