22 Nov 2022
Collaborative project enhances hepatitis C care engagement using surveillance systems to support GPs
Collaborators from The Doherty Institute, The Victorian Government Department of Health and the Burnet Institute are celebrating the wrap up of a successful pilot program which supported clinicians to provide care to people newly diagnosed with chronic hep atitis C, as part of work towards the elimination of the infection in Australia.
Chronic hepatitis C infection can lead to adverse outcomes such as liver cancer, however it is now curable with highly effective direct-acting antiviral treatments. Despite this, evidence suggests a significant number of people have not yet accessed this potentially life-saving therapy. Newly diagnosed cases represent a potential intervention point, to support clinicians with information and linkages to clinical networks to close gaps in access.The Coordinated Hepatitis responses to Enhancethe Cascade of Care by optimising existing Surveillance systems (CHECCS) project was developed to pilot this approach, and ran from September 2021 to November 2022.
During the program, over 440 diagnosing clinicians were contacted and offered support, and more than one-third requested resources to support assessing and treating patients with hepatitis C, demonstrating the potential for this program to improve awareness and guideline-based care.
Hepatitis C disproportionately affects marginalised communities and those experiencing disadvantage, and more active support was provided for the diagnosing clinicians when loss to follow up care was a greater risk. For more than half of these high risk cases, the diagnosing clinicians reported that the enhanced support provided by CHECCS was key in re-engaging a patient into follow-up care.
The project led to further benefits, such as the identification of potential cases requiring further public health follow-up. And for the first time in Victoria, it is now possible to assess in real time how many people have been provided with follow-up testing and treatment, to identify gaps andpriorities for intervention.
Dr Nicole Allard, a General Practitioner and clinician researcher with the Doherty and investigator on the project, emphasized the impact “Our findings show that follow up of routine notifications is feasible and welcomed by primary care clinicians, and can make a difference to clinical outcomes and improve access to hepatitis C care. This provides the impetus to consider a comprehensive, system-wide approach in order to reduce the preventable burden due to chronicviral hepatitis.”
The success of the pilot is reflected in the integration of the processes generated into regularbusiness for the Victorian Government Department of Health Local Public Health Units, providing for a sustainable ongoing approach to improving the management of chronic viral hepatitis, and in future reducing preventable adverse outcomes through linkage to care.
CHECCS was funded by the Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia Partnership (EC Australia). The Doherty Institute partnered with the Department of Health Victoria, key community groups and representatives with lived experience, to develop, implement, and evaluate the pilot. You can read more in the final evaluation report, available here or download below.