Health professionals' attitudes toward caring for people with hepatitis C

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Public Health
• Medical Education

Background:

• Hepatitis C affects 170 million globally, posing significant morbidity and mortality risks.
• Health professionals (HPs) will encounter patients with hepatitis C during their careers.
• Limited understanding exists regarding HPs' attitudes toward treating hepatitis C patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between HPs' hepatitis C knowledge, attitudes, and clinical behavior.
• To identify barriers influencing HPs' willingness to treat patients with hepatitis C.
• To inform educational strategies for improving care for hepatitis C patients.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey of 1347 HPs in Victoria, Australia.
• Self-administered questionnaires assessed hepatitis C knowledge, attitudes, and infection control practices.
• Data analyzed to explore interrelationships between knowledge, attitudes, and reported behavior.

Main Results:

• Most HPs possessed adequate hepatitis C knowledge.
• Some HPs exhibited intolerant attitudes towards people with hepatitis C.
• HPs reported using differential infection control for hepatitis C patients, citing fear of contagion and disapproval of injecting drug use as barriers.

Conclusions:

• HPs' attitudes, not just knowledge, significantly impact hepatitis C patient care.
• Educational interventions should address attitudes towards patients, injecting drug use, and infection control.
• Shifting focus to attitudinal change may enhance care for individuals with hepatitis C.