Clinical outcomes in a cohort of anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients with significant barriers to treatment referred to a Norwegian outpatient clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Patient selection and management of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Norwegian outpatient clinics is not well studied. The aim of the study was to characterize CHC patients referred to a large university hospital in Norway, identify treatment barriers, and investigate the course and outcomes of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective observational cohort study, all anti-HCV-positive patients referred to Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, for treatment evaluation during the period 2007-2010 were included. Demographics, clinical, laboratory, and treatment results were obtained from electronic medical records. RESULTS: A total of 256 patients were included. The patients were young (mean age 36 ± 10.3), with a high prevalence of genotypes 3 (55%) and 1 (43%) and low levels of fibrosis (77%