This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Indian Health Service increases HCV testing rate fourfold
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The Indian Health Service expanded its hepatitis C virus infection testing to baby boomers after the CDC recommended a one-time HCV testing for this population, which led to a fourfold increase in testing since 2012, according to findings published in MMWR.
“This highlights the outstanding work that Indian Health Service facilities are doing to improve access to lifesaving hepatitis C screening and quality medical care,” Susan Karol, MD, FACS, chief medical officer of the Indian Health Service (IHS), told Infectious Disease News. “The IHS’ screening rates for American Indian and Alaska Native patients in the birth cohort have more than tripled since the national recommendations were released, greatly increasing the potential for early detection and follow-up for our patients living with hepatitis C infection.”
Susan Karol
Taking the CDC’s recommendation into account, as well as the fact American Indian and Alaska Native individuals have a twofold rate of acute HCV incidence and HCV-associated mortality, the IHS — the principal federal health care advocate and provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives — implemented HCV testing in individuals born between 1945 and 1965 in 2012 and created a nationally standardized performance measure to monitor its impact.
The Indian Health Service operates 46 hospitals, 344 health centers, 230 village clinics and health stations in 35 states, according to the report. These facilities are decentralized and therefore the implementation of HCV testing in the birth cohort was a local decision based on priorities and capacity.
As of June 2015, the number of individuals in the birth cohort screened for HCV increased from 7.9% to 32.5%. The researchers noted that this increase was associated with provider training and the use of clinical decision tools. Testing rates at the individual institutions ranged from 1.9% to 75.1%. The largest increase in testing was observed in institutions that implemented an electronic clinical decision support tool for testing.
“With this fourfold increase in testing in just 3 years, IHS needs to prepare for the challenges associated with increased identification of persons living with HCV infection,” the researchers wrote. “Identifying persons with HCV infection in American Indian/Alaska Native populations is a priority. Implementation of clinical decision tools should be considered to improve testing and detection; clinical capacity should be adequate to provide the follow-up care and treatment necessary for cure.” – by Melinda Stevens
- Reference:
- Reilley B, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:467-469.
Disclosure: Karol reports no relevant financial disclosures.