Education and counseling in the methadone treatment setting improves knowledge of viral hepatitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational method of providing viral hepatitis education for methadone maintenance patients. Four hundred forty participants were randomly assigned to either a control or a motivationally-enhanced viral hepatitis education and counseling intervention. Viral hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV) knowledge tests were administered at baseline, following each of two education sessions (post-education), and at a 3-month follow-up assessment. Results indicated a significant increase in knowledge of HAV, HBV, and HCV over time. No differences were found in knowledge between the intervention groups in knowledge acquisition regarding any of the hepatitis viruses suggesting that a motivational interviewing style may not augment hepatitis knowledge beyond standard counseling. A two-session viral hepatitis education intervention effectively promotes hepatitis knowledge and can be integrated in methadone treatment settings.

A randomized trial of a hepatitis care coordination model in methadone maintenance treatment.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the efficacy of a hepatitis care coordination intervention to improve linkage to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination and clinical evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among methadone maintenance patients. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 489 participants from methadone maintenance treatment programs in San Francisco, California, and New York City from February 2008 through June 2011. We randomized participants to a control arm (n = 245) and an intervention arm (n = 244), which included on-site screening, motivational-enhanced education and counseling, on-site vaccination, and case management services. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, intervention group participants were significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 41.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.4, 90.0) to receive their first vaccine dose within 30 days and to receive an HCV evaluation within 6 months (OR = 4.10; 95% CI = 2.35, 7.17). A combined intervention adherence outcome that measured adherence to HAV-HBV vaccination, HCV evaluation, or both strongly favored the intervention group (OR = 8.70; 95% CI = 5.56, 13.61). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis care coordination was efficacious in increasing adherence to HAV-HBV vaccination and HCV clinical evaluation among methadone patients.

Possible barriers to enrollment in substance abuse treatment among a diverse sample of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: opinions of treatment clients.

This mixed methods study examined motivations and barriers to substance abuse treatment entry and treatment continuation among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) substance users. AAPI substance users (N = 61) were recruited from substance abuse treatment programs in California and Hawaii. Semi-structured interviews and interviewer-administered surveys assessed barriers and facilitators to entering substance abuse treatment. Barriers included peer pressure, family influences, and face loss concerns. Facilitators included peer support, involvement in the criminal justice system, a perceived need for treatment, and culturally competent substance abuse treatment services. Family and peer influences may act as both facilitators and impediments. AAPI substance using populations face many of the same individual-level and structural and systems barriers to entry to treatment as other substance using populations. However, similar to other racial/ethnic minority groups, it is important to address cultural differences and develop culturally competent substance abuse treatments for the AAPI population.

Smoking cessation interventions with female smokers living with HIV/AIDS: a randomized pilot study of motivational interviewing.

Smoking among people living with HIV, particularly women living with HIV, is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates when compared to nonsmoking individuals with HIV. Despite patients' higher risk of adverse health outcomes, in particular preventable smoking-related diseases for smokers living with HIV, few smoking cessation interventions have been examined with this population. The aim of the current study was to test the potential efficacy of a brief motivational intervention for smoking cessation with HIV-infected women smokers. Participants (N=30) were randomly assigned to receive a single session of motivational interviewing (MI) or prescribed advice (PA). The primary outcome was seven-day point prevalence abstinence at the one-month follow-up interview. Secondary outcome measures included mean cigarettes smoked per day, desire to quit smoking, perceived difficulty in quitting smoking, and expectation of success. We detected no significant differences between intervention and control groups in self-reported seven-day point prevalence abstinence at the one-month follow-up. However, participants in the MI condition reported a significant decrease in the mean cigarettes smoked per day when compared to the PA condition. There were no significant between-group differences in participants' desire to quit, perceived difficulty, and expectation of success. The results of this pilot study indicate that MI may be an effective smoking cessation intervention for HIV-positive women smokers and should be studied further in a larger clinical trial.