Support for patients with hepatitis C: an exploratory qualitative study of medical specialists' perceptions

To explore the range of meanings about the role of support for patients with hepatitis C by examining medical specialists' perceptions.

The study employed a qualitative, open-ended interview design and was conducted in four major teaching hospitals in Adelaide, South Australia. Eight participants (three infectious disease physicians, four gastroenterologists, one hepatologist), selected through purposive sampling, were interviewed about general patient support, their role in support provision, the role of non-medical support and their reasons for not using support services.

Main themes included a focus on support as information provision and that patient education is best carried out by a medical specialist. The use of support services was defined as the patient's decision. Participants identified four key periods when patients would benefit from support; during diagnosis, failure to meet treatment criteria, during interferon treatment and following treatment failure.

It was concluded that while barriers exist to the establishment of partnerships between specialists and other support services, this study has identified clear points at which future partnerships could be established.

A partnership approach to developing support for patients with hepatitis C offers a systematic framework to facilitate the participation of health professionals and the community in an important area of public health.