A Communications Campaign to Build Confidence in Covid-19 Vaccines: The Boston Medical Center Experience.

Health systems could play an important role in efforts to build vaccine confidence in communities that have been hardest hit by Covid-19. Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system, New England's largest safety-net hospital, along with its community partners, implemented a Covid Response Program aimed at building vaccine confidence. The program was supported by a multifaceted and multilingual communications campaign including: 1) traditional and social media channels with trusted messengers, 2) consistent and accessible core messaging, 3) transparent dialogue, and 4) partnership with state and local health government officials. Between December 2020 and June 2022, BMC disseminated 650 social media posts leading to 12 million impressions and more than 1.8 million post engagements. The campaign included a TikTok video later featured during the presidential inauguration, resulting in more than 3.7 million views. BMC's HealthCity digital publication released 20 articles gaining more than 73,000 views while the FAQ/vaccine scheduling site, translated into seven languages, reached 844,000 page visits. At six months into the vaccination program, 70% of BMC primary care patients 18 years or older had received at least one shot and 60% were fully vaccinated, having received either two mRNA doses or one adenovirus vaccine. The proportions rose to 82% with one dose and 75% fully vaccinated at 12 months. By 24 months into the program, 83% of BMC primary care patients had received at least one shot and 77% were fully vaccinated; however, notable differences existed by race/ethnicity. Seventy six percent of Black patients and 75% of Latino patients were fully vaccinated, compared with 85% of Asian and 81% White patients. Key lessons learned include the importance of a multilingual, multimedia campaign and the need for bidirectional communication that could quickly shift to address evolving issues.

Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies for Treatment Timing for Perinatally Acquired Hepatitis C Virus.

Importance: Prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among pregnant people is increasing in the US. HCV is transmitted vertically in 7% to 8% of births. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy was recently approved for children with HCV who are 3 years or older. The clinical and economic impacts of early DAA therapy for young children with HCV, compared with treating at older ages, are unknown. Objective: To develop a state-transition model to project clinical and economic outcomes for children with perinatally acquired HCV to investigate the cost-effectiveness of treating at various ages. Design, Setting, and Participants: The study team modeled the natural history of perinatally acquired HCV to simulate disease progression and costs of a simulated a cohort of 1000 US children with HCV from 3 years old through death. Added data were analyzed January 5, 2021, through July 1, 2022. Interventions: The study compared strategies offering 8 weeks of DAA therapy at 3, 6, 12, or 18 years old, as well as a comparator of never treating HCV. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes of interest include life expectancy from 3 years and average lifetime per-person health care costs. Other clinical outcomes include cases of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Results: The study team projected that treating HCV at 3 years old was associated with lower mean lifetime per-person health care costs ($148 162) than deferring treatment until 6 years old ($164 292), 12 years old ($171 909), or 18 years old ($195 374). Projected life expectancy was longest when treating at 3 years old (78.36 life years [LYs]) and decreased with treatment deferral until 6 years old (76.10 LYs), 12 years old (75.99 LYs), and 18 years old (75.46 LYs). In a cohort of 1000 children with perinatally acquired HCV, treating at 3 years old prevented 89 projected cases of cirrhosis, 27 cases of HCC, and 74 liver-related deaths compared with deferring treatment until 6 years old. In sensitivity analyses, increasing loss to follow-up led to even greater clinical benefits and cost savings with earlier treatment. Conclusions and Relevance: These study results showed that DAA therapy for 3-year-old children was projected to reduce health care costs and increase survival compared with deferral until age 6 years or older. Measures to increase DAA access for young children will be important to realizing these benefits.

Test characteristics for combining non-invasive liver fibrosis staging modalities in individuals with Hepatitis C virus.

Non-invasive methods have largely replaced biopsy to identify advanced fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV). Guidelines vary regarding testing strategy to balance accuracy, costs and loss to follow-up. Although individual test characteristics are well-described, data comparing the accuracy of using two tests together are limited. We calculated combined test characteristics to determine the utility of combined strategies. This study synthesizes empirical data from fibrosis staging trials and the literature to estimate test characteristics for Fibrosis-4 (FIB4), APRI or a commercial serum panel (FibroSure®), followed by transient elastography (TE) or FibroSure®. We simulated two testing strategies: (1) second test only for those with intermediate first test results (staged approach), and (2) second test for all. We summarized empiric data with multinomial distributions and used this to estimate test characteristics of each strategy on a simulated population of 10,000 individuals with 4.2% cirrhosis prevalence. Negative predictive value (NPV) for cirrhosis from a single test ranged from 98.2% (95% CB 97.6-98.8%) for FIB-4 to 99.4% (95% CB 99.0-99.8%) for TE. Using a staged approach with TE second, sensitivity for cirrhosis rose to 93.3-96.9%, NPV to 99.7-99.8%, while PPV dropped to <32%. Using TE as a second test for all minimally changed estimated test characteristics compared with the staged approach. Combining two non-invasive fibrosis tests barely improves NPV and decreases or does not change PPV compared with a single test, challenging the utility of serial testing modalities. These calculated combined test characteristics can inform best methods to identify advanced fibrosis in various populations.

A Microsimulation Study of the Cost-Effectiveness of Hepatitis C Virus Screening Frequencies in Hemodialysis Centers.

BACKGROUND: National guidelines recommend twice-yearly hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening for patients receiving in-center hemodialysis. However, studies examining the cost-effectiveness of HCV screening methods or frequencies are lacking. METHODS: We populated an HCV screening, treatment, and disease microsimulation model with a cohort representative of the US in-center hemodialysis population. Clinical outcomes, costs, and cost-effectiveness of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2018 guidelines-endorsed HCV screening frequency (every 6 months) were compared with less frequent periodic screening (yearly, every 2 years), screening only at hemodialysis initiation, and no screening. We estimated expected quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) between each screening strategy and the next less expensive alternative strategy, from a health care sector perspective, in 2019 US dollars. For each strategy, we modeled an HCV outbreak occurring in 1% of centers. In sensitivity analyses, we varied mortality, linkage to HCV cure, screening method (ribonucleic acid versus antibody testing), test sensitivity, HCV infection rates, and outbreak frequencies. RESULTS: Screening only at hemodialysis initiation yielded HCV cure rates of 79%, with an ICER of $82,739 per QALY saved compared with no testing. Compared with screening at hemodialysis entry only, screening every 2 years increased cure rates to 88% and decreased liver-related deaths by 52%, with an ICER of $140,193. Screening every 6 months had an ICER of $934,757; in sensitivity analyses using a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY gained, screening every 6 months was never cost-effective. CONCLUSIONS: The KDIGO-recommended HCV screening interval (every 6 months) does not seem to be a cost-effective use of health care resources, suggesting that re-evaluation of less-frequent screening strategies should be considered.

The Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Linkage-to-Care Trial: rationale and design of an emergency department-based randomized clinical trial of linkage-to-care strategies for hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C (HCV) poses a major public health problem in the USA. While early identification is a critical priority, subsequent linkage to a treatment specialist is a crucial step that bridges diagnosed patients to treatment, cure, and prevention of ongoing transmission. Emergency departments (EDs) serve as an important clinical setting for HCV screening, although optimal methods of linkage-to-care for HCV-diagnosed individuals remain unknown. In this article, we describe the rationale and design of The Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Linkage-to-Care Trial. METHODS: The DETECT Hep C Linkage-to-Care Trial will be a single-center prospective comparative effectiveness randomized two-arm parallel-group superiority trial to test the effectiveness of linkage navigation and clinician referral among ED patients identified with untreated HCV with a primary hypothesis that linkage navigation plus clinician referral is superior to clinician referral alone when using treatment initiation as the primary outcome. Participants will be enrolled in the ED at Denver Health Medical Center (Denver, CO), an urban, safety-net hospital with approximately 75,000 annual adult ED visits. This trial was designed to enroll a maximum of 280 HCV RNA-positive participants with one planned interim analysis based on methods by O'Brien and Fleming. This trial will further inform the evaluation of cost effectiveness, disparities, and social determinants of health in linkage-to-care, treatment, and disease progression. DISCUSSION: When complete, the DETECT Hep C Linkage-to-Care Trial will significantly inform how best to perform linkage-to-care among ED patients identified with HCV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04026867 Original date: July 1, 2019 URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04026867.

The Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Screening Trial: rationale and design of a multi-center pragmatic randomized clinical trial of hepatitis C screening in emergency departments.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of HCV is a critical health priority, especially now that treatment options are available to limit further transmission and provide cure before long-term sequelae develop. Emergency departments (EDs) are important clinical settings for HCV screening given that EDs serve many at-risk patients who do not access other forms of healthcare. In this article, we describe the rationale and design of The Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Screening Trial. METHODS: The DETECT Hep C Screening Trial is a multi-center prospective pragmatic randomized two-arm parallel-group superiority trial to test the comparative effectiveness of nontargeted and targeted HCV screening in the ED with a primary hypothesis that nontargeted screening is superior to targeted screening when identifying newly diagnosed HCV. This trial will be performed in the EDs at Denver Health Medical Center (Denver, CO), Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD), and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson, MS), sites representing approximately 225,000 annual adult visits, and designed using the PRECIS-2 framework for pragmatic trials. When complete, we will have enrolled a minimum of 125,000 randomized patient visits and have performed 13,965 HCV tests. In Denver, the Screening Trial will serve as a conduit for a distinct randomized comparative effectiveness trial to evaluate linkage-to-HCV care strategies. All sites will further contribute to embedded observational studies to assess cost effectiveness, disparities, and social determinants of health in screening, linkage-to-care, and treatment for HCV. DISCUSSION: When complete, The DETECT Hep C Screening Trial will represent the largest ED-based pragmatic clinical trial to date and all studies, in aggregate, will significantly inform how to best perform ED-based HCV screening. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04003454 . Registered on 1 July 2019.

Resources Required for Implementation of SARS-CoV-2 Screening in Massachusetts K-12 Public Schools in Winter/Spring 2021.

BACKGROUND: The financial costs and human resource requirements at the school and district level to implement a SARS-CoV-2 screening program are not well known. METHODS: A consortium of Massachusetts public K-12 schools was formed to implement and evaluate a range of SARS-CoV-2 screening approaches. Participating districts were surveyed weekly about their programs, including: type of assay used, individual vs. pooled screening, approaches to return of results and deconvolution of positive pools, number and type of personnel, and hours spent implementing the screening program, and hours spent on program implementation. RESULTS: In 21 participating districts, over 21 weeks from January to June 2021, the positivity rate was 0.0% to 0.21% among students and 0.0% to 0.13% among educators/staff. The average weekly cost to implement a screening program, including assay and personnel costs, was $17.00 per person tested; this was $46.68 for individual screenings and $15.61 for pooled screenings. The total weekly costs by district ranged from $1,644 to $93,486, and districts screened between 58 and 3675 people per week. CONCLUSIONS: Where screening is recommended for the 2021 to 2022 school year due to high COVID-19 incidence, understanding the human resources and finances required to implement screening will assist district policymakers in planning.

Association of Treatment With Medications for Opioid Use Disorder With Mortality After Hospitalization for Injection Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis.

Importance: Although hospitalizations for injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis (IDU-IE) have increased during the opioid crisis, utilization of and mortality associated with receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) after discharge from the hospital among patients with IDU-IE are unknown. Objective: To assess the proportion of patients receiving MOUD after hospitalization for IDU-IE and the association of MOUD receipt with mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used a population registry with person-level medical claims, prescription monitoring program, mortality, and substance use treatment data from Massachusetts between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015; IDU-IE-related discharges between July 1, 2011, and June, 30, 2015, were analyzed. All Massachusetts residents aged 18 to 64 years with a first hospitalization for IDU-IE were included; IDU-IE was defined as any hospitalization with a diagnosis of endocarditis and at least 1 claim in the prior 6 months for OUD, drug use, or hepatitis C and with 2-month survival after hospital discharge. Data were analyzed from November 11, 2018, to June 23, 2020. Exposure: Receipt of MOUD, defined as any treatment with methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone, within 3 months after hospital discharge excluding discharge month for IDU-IE. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was all-cause mortality. The proportion of patients who received MOUD in the 3 months after hospital discharge was calculated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the association of MOUD receipt with mortality, adjusting for sex, age, medical and psychiatric comorbidities, and homelessness. In the secondary analysis, receipt of MOUD was considered as a monthly time-varying exposure. Results: Of 679 individuals with IDU-IE, 413 (60.8%) were male, the mean (SD) age was 39.2 (12.1) years, 298 (43.9%) were aged 18 to 34 years, 419 (72.3) had mental illness, and 209 (30.8) experienced homelessness. A total of 134 individuals (19.7%) received MOUD in the 3 months before hospitalization and 165 (24.3%) in the 3 months after hospital discharge. Of those who received MOUD after discharge, 112 (67.9%) received buprenorphine. The crude mortality rate was 9.2 deaths per 100 person-years. MOUD receipt within 3 months after discharge was not associated with reduced mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.61-2.72); however, MOUD receipt was associated with reduced mortality in the month that MOUD was received (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.89). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, receipt of MOUD was associated with reduced mortality after hospitalization for injection drug use-associated endocarditis only in the month it was received. Efforts to improve MOUD initiation and retention after IDU-IE hospitalization may be beneficial.

Rapid Versus Laboratory-Based Testing for HIV and Hepatitis C at a Drug Detoxification Treatment Center: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: A health department survey revealed nearly half employ laboratory-based HIV and HCV testing (LBT) over rapid testing (RT) in nonhospital settings such as drug detoxification centers. LBT has higher sensitivity for acute HIV infection compared to RT but LBT is not point of care and may result in fewer diagnoses due to loss to follow-up before result delivery. METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial comparing real-world case notification of RT (Orasure) vs LBT (HIV Combo Ag/Ab EIA, HCV EIA) for HIV and HCV at a drug detoxification center. Primary outcome was receipt of test results within 2 weeks. RESULTS: Among 341 individuals screened (11/2016-7/2017), 200 met inclusion criteria; 58% injected drugs and 31% shared needles in the previous 6 months. Of the 200 randomized, 98 received RT and 102 LBT. Among all participants, 0.5% were positive for HIV and 48% for HCV; 96% received test results in the RT arm and 42% in the LBT arm (odds ratio, 28.72; 95% confidence interval, 10.27-80.31). Real-world case notification was 95% and 93% for HIV and HCV RT, respectively, compared to 42% for HIV and HCV LBT. CONCLUSIONS: RT has higher real-world case notification than LBT at drug detoxification centers.Clinical trials registration: NCT02869776.

Early administration of interleukin-6 inhibitors for patients with severe COVID-19 disease is associated with decreased intubation, reduced mortality, and increased discharge.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this observational study was to determine the optimal timing of interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor (IL6ri) administration for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Patients with COVID-19 were given an IL6ri (sarilumab or tocilizumab) based on iteratively reviewed guidelines. IL6ri were initially reserved for critically ill patients, but after review, treatment was liberalized to patients with lower oxygen requirements. Patients were divided into two groups: those requiring ≤45% fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (termed stage IIB) and those requiring >45% FiO2 (termed stage III) at the time of IL6ri administration. The main outcomes were all-cause mortality, discharge alive from hospital, and extubation. RESULTS: A total of 255 COVID-19 patients were treated with IL6ri (149 stage IIB and 106 stage III). Patients treated in stage IIB had lower mortality than those treated in stage III (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08-0.74). Overall, 218 (85.5%) patients were discharged alive. Patients treated in stage IIB were more likely to be discharged (aHR 1.43, 95% CI 1.06-1.93) and were less likely to be intubated (aHR 0.43, 95% CI 0.24-0.79). CONCLUSIONS: IL6ri administration prior to >45% FiO2 requirement was associated with improved COVID-19 outcomes. This can guide clinical management pending results from randomized controlled trials.

Hepatitis C Management at Federally Qualified Health Centers during the Opioid Epidemic: A Cost-Effectiveness Study.

BACKGROUND: The opioid epidemic has been associated with an increase in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have a high burden of hepatitis C disease and could serve as venues to enhance testing and treatment. METHODS: We estimated clinical outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of hepatitis C testing and treatment at US FQHCs using individual-based simulation modeling. We used individual-level data from 57 FQHCs to model 9 strategies, including permutations of HCV antibody testing modality, person initiating testing, and testing approach. Outcomes included life expectancy, quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), hepatitis C cases identified, treated and cured; and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. RESULTS: Compared with current practice (risk-based with laboratory-based testing), routine rapid point-of-care testing initiated and performed by a counselor identified 68% more cases after (nonreflex) RNA testing in the first month of the intervention and led to a 17% reduction in cirrhosis cases and a 22% reduction in liver deaths among those with cirrhosis over a lifetime. Routine rapid testing initiated by a counselor or a clinician provided better outcomes at either lower total cost or at lower cost per QALY gained, when compared with all other strategies. Findings were most influenced by the proportion of patients informed of their anti-HCV test results. CONCLUSIONS: Routine anti-HCV testing followed by prompt RNA testing for positives is recommended at FQHCs to identify infections. If using dedicated staff or point-of-care testing is not feasible, then measures to improve immediate patient knowledge of antibody status should be considered.

Tuberculin skin test positivity among HIV-infected alcohol drinkers on antiretrovirals in south-western Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH), and current evidence suggests that heavy alcohol users have an increased risk of developing TB disease compared to non-drinkers. Not known is whether the increased risk for TB disease among alcohol users may reflect higher rates of latent TB infection (LTBI) among this population. We assessed the latent TB infection prevalence based on tuberculin skin testing (TST) and examined association with current alcohol use among HIV-infected persons on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in south-western Uganda. METHODS: We included PLWH at the Mbarara Regional Hospital HIV clinic, who were either current alcohol consumers (prior 3 months) or past year abstainers (2:1 enrolment ratio). Participants were recruited for a study of isoniazid preventive therapy for LTBI. TST was performed using 5 tuberculin units of purified protein derivative. The primary outcome was a positive TST reading (≥5mm induration), reflecting LTBI. We used logistic regression analyses to assess the cross-sectional association between self-reported current alcohol use and a positive TST. RESULTS: Of the 295 of 312 (95%) who returned for TST reading, 63% were females and 63% were current alcohol drinkers. The TST positive prevalence was 27.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22.6% - 32.9%). The odds of a positive TST for current alcohol users compared to abstainers was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.41, 1.41), controlling for gender, age, body mass index, history of smoking, and prior unhealthy alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LTBI among PLWH on ART in south-western Uganda was moderate and LTBI poses a risk for future infectious TB. Although alcohol use is common, we did not detect an association between current drinking or prior unhealthy alcohol use and LTBI. Further studies to evaluate the association between LTBI and different levels of current drinking (heavy versus not) are needed.

Possible N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody-mediated encephalitis in the setting of HIV cerebrospinal fluid escape.

Discordant elevations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) in chronically treated patients known as 'CSF escape' may present as acute encephalitis. Infectious encephalitis caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) and other neurotropic viruses have been identified as potential triggers of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Autoantibody-mediated encephalitis has been infrequently reported in HIV infected patients and may mimic HIV encephalitis. We report two adults infected with HIV presenting with encephalopathy and seizures. Case 1 had a monophasic encephalopathy with detection of NMDAR antibodies in the context of HIV CSF escape. There was a clinical response to immunotherapy and anti-retroviral therapy adjustment. Case 2 initially presented in non-convulsive status epilepticus associated with HIV CSF escape. He responded to treatment with anti-epileptic drugs and anti-retroviral therapy alteration, but had two further neurological relapses. NMDAR antibodies were detected during the relapses and a clinical response was observed following treatment with immunotherapy. Clinicians should consider autoimmune encephalitis in HIV infected patients presenting with encephalopathy and seizures, particularly in cases with concomitant HIV CSF escape.

Effect of Publicly Reported Aortic Valve Surgery Outcomes on Valve Surgery in Injection Drug- and Non-Injection Drug-Associated Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis (IDU-IE) is rising and valve surgery is frequently indicated. The effect of initiating public outcomes reporting for aortic valve surgery on rates of valve surgery and in-hospital mortality for endocarditis is not known. METHODS: For an interrupted time series analysis, we used data from the National Inpatient Sample, a representative sample of United States inpatient hospitalizations, from January 2010 to September 2015. We included individuals aged 18-65 with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis of endocarditis. We defined IDU-IE using a validated combination of ICD-9 codes. We used segmented logistic regression to assess for changes in valve replacement and in-hospital mortality rates after the public reporting initiation in January 2013. RESULTS: We identified 7322 hospitalizations for IDU-IE and 23 997 for non-IDU-IE in the sample, representing 36 452 national IDU-IE admissions and 119 316 non-IDU admissions, respectively. Following the implementation of public reporting in 2013, relative to baseline trends, the odds of valve replacement decreased by 4.0% per quarter (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-0.99), with no difference by IDU status. The odds of an in-patient death decreased by 2.0% per quarter for both IDU-IE and non-IDU-IE cases following reporting (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Initiating public reporting was associated with a significant decrease in valve surgery for all IE cases, regardless of IDU status, and a reduction in-hospital mortality for patients with IE. Patients with IE may have less access to surgery as a consequence of public reporting. To understand how reduced valve surgery impacts overall mortality, future studies should examine the postdischarge mortality rate.

Short-Term Effects and Long-Term Cost-Effectiveness of Universal Hepatitis C Testing in Prenatal Care.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the clinical effects and cost-effectiveness of universal prenatal hepatitis C screening, and to calculate potential life expectancy, quality of life, and health care costs associated with universal prenatal hepatitis C screening and linkage to treatment. METHODS: Using a stochastic individual-level microsimulation model, we simulated the lifetimes of 250 million pregnant women matched at baseline with the U.S. childbearing population on age, injection drug use behaviors, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection status. Modeled outcomes included hepatitis C diagnosis, treatment and cure, lifetime health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios comparing universal prenatal hepatitis C screening to current practice. We modeled whether neonates exposed to maternal HCV at birth were identified as such. RESULTS: Pregnant women with hepatitis C infection lived 1.21 years longer and had 16% lower HCV-attributable mortality with universal prenatal hepatitis C screening, which had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $41,000 per QALY gained compared with current practice. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios remained below $100,000 per QALY gained in most sensitivity analyses; notable exceptions included incremental cost-effectiveness ratios above $100,000 when assuming mean time to cirrhosis of 70 years, a cost greater than $500,000 per false positive diagnosis, or population HCV infection prevalence below 0.16%. Universal prenatal hepatitis C screening increased identification of neonates exposed to HCV at birth from 44% to 92%. CONCLUSIONS: In our model, universal prenatal hepatitis C screening improves health outcomes in women with HCV infection, improves identification of HCV exposure in neonates born at risk, and is cost-effective.

Hepatitis C Testing and Patient Characteristics in Washington State's Prisons Between 2012 and 2016.

INTRODUCTION: There is no widely accepted testing approach for hepatitis C virus infection in correctional settings, and many U.S. prisons do not provide routine testing. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective hepatitis C virus testing strategy in one U.S. state prison and describe the population with reactive testing. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using individuals entering the Washington State prison system, which routinely offers hepatitis C virus testing, to compare routine opt-out with current recommendations for risk-based and one-time testing for individuals born between 1945 and 1965. Additionally, liver fibrosis stage was characterized using aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and Fibrosis-4 index. Analyses were conducted in 2017. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2016, a total of 24,567 (83%) individuals were tested for the hepatitis C virus antibody and 4,921 (20%) were reactive (test was positive). There were 2,403 (49%) that had hepatitis C virus RNA testing, with 1,727 (72%) showing chronic infection. Reactive antibody was more prevalent in individuals born between 1945 and 1965 compared with other years (44% vs 17%); however, most cases (72%) were outside of this cohort. Up to 35% of positive reactive tests would be missed with testing targeted by birth cohort and risk behavior. Of chronically infected individuals, 23% had at least moderate liver fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted testing in the Washington State prison system missed a substantial proportion of hepatitis C virus cases; of those with reactive testing, a sizeable proportion of people had at least moderate liver disease, placing them at risk for complications. Routine testing at entry should be considered by U.S. state prisons.

Cost-effectiveness of preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention for conception in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of coformulated Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for conception in the U.S. and to identify scenarios in which 'Undetectable = Untransmittable' (U = U) may not be adequate, and rather, PrEP or assisted reproduction would improve outcomes. DESIGN: We developed a Markov cohort simulation model to estimate the incremental benefits and cost-effectiveness of PrEP compared with alternative safer conception strategies, including combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) alone for the HIV-infected partner and assisted reproductive technologies. We modelled various scenarios in which HIV RNA suppression in the male partner was less than perfect. SETTING: U.S. healthcare sector perspective. PARTICIPANTS: Serodiscordant couples in the U.S. was composed of an HIV-infected male and HIV-uninfected female seeking conception. INTERVENTION: Economic analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cumulative risks of HIV transmission to women and babies, maternal life expectancy, discounted quality-adjusted life years (QALY), discounted lifetime medical costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. RESULTS: cART with condomless intercourse limited to ovulation was the preferred HIV prevention strategy among women seeking to conceive with an HIV-infected partner who is HIV-suppressed. PrEP was not cost-effective for women who had partners who were virologically suppressed. When the probability of male partner HIV suppression was low and we assumed generic pricing of PrEP, PrEP was cost-effective, and sometimes even cost-saving compared with cART alone. CONCLUSION: From a U.S. healthcare sector perspective, when the male partner was not reliably suppressed, PrEP became economically attractive, and in some cases, cost-saving.

Implementation and Preliminary Results of an Emergency Department Nontargeted, Opt-out Hepatitis C Virus Screening Program.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department (ED) visits provide an opportunity for hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening for patients who otherwise might not be tested. We report on a novel nontargeted, opt-out HCV screening and linkage-to-care (LTC) program implemented in an urban ED. METHODS: This is a descriptive analysis from 3 months (November 2016-January 2017) of a nontargeted, opt-out ED HCV screening and LTC program among patients at least 13 years old undergoing phlebotomy for clinical purposes. A multipurpose best practice advisory (BPA) alerted providers to the program and generated order labels. For patients who authorized testing, specimens were drawn in the ED for HCV antibody (Ab) and reflex confirmatory RNA tests. Public health navigators attempted to contact RNA-positive patients and arrange outpatient visits. RESULTS: HCV Ab tests were performed on 3,808 patients, a 6,950% increase from preprogram. The proportion of HCV Ab test positivity was 13.2% (504/3,808, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.2%-14.3%) and of those 97.8% (493/504) had a follow-up RNA test performed. A total of 292 were confirmed positive for active infection, for an overall RNA positivity rate of 7.7% (95% CI = 6.8%-8.5%). Of those with active infection, 155 (53%) were outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention birth cohort for increased risk for HCV including 46 (15.8%, 95% CI = 11.8%-20.4%) who also did not report injection drug use. Linkage attempts were documented on 223 (76.4%) patients and appointments were scheduled for 102 (38% of attempted). Sixty-six patients attended their LTC visit (22.5% of all RNA-positive patients, 30% of linkage-eligible patients). CONCLUSIONS: Nontargeted opt-out HCV testing can be successfully implemented in an ED setting. A number of patients diagnosed were outside traditional risk groups. Once diagnosed, an ED population may be difficult to engage in care, but a structured interdisciplinary program can successfully link patients to HCV care.