1.
Intern Med J
; 51(8): 1344-1347, 2021 Aug.
Artigo
em Inglês
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34423535
RESUMO
Prisons remain a priority population in the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) in Australia. To improve treatment uptake, we created a novel telehealth-based model of care for prisoners with HCV that is both cost-effective and requires minimal infrastructure. Over a period of 30 months, a total of 332 patients was initiated on treatment, achieving a per protocol sustained virological response (SVR12) rate of 91%. A large number (29%) of patients was lost to follow up after release from prison - highlighting the vital opportunity for HCV treatment during incarceration. We propose that similar models of care can be used to improve HCV treatment access for other priority populations in Australia.