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Integrating enhanced hepatitis C testing and counselling in research
Rebecca Winter1, Oanh Nguyen, Peter Higgs
1Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Australia. rwinter@burnet.edu.au
The International Journal on Drug Policy
|March 4, 2008
Summary
Burnet Institute researchers developed a model for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) research with people who inject drugs (PWID). This model prioritizes high-quality test results and best-practice pre- and post-test counseling in comfortable, trusted environments.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) affects over 170 million globally, with 225,000 diagnosed in Australia.
- Injecting drug use accounts for 90% of annual HCV infections in Australia.
- Burnet Institute has a long history of HCV research since 1989.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a research practice model for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and people who inject drugs (PWID).
- To improve the provision of test results and counseling for research participants in Blood Borne Virus (BBV) studies.
- To discuss benefits and lessons learned from providing pre- and post-test counseling to PWID in an outreach capacity.
Main Methods:
- Community-based cohort studies (1990-1995).
- Studies involving Vietnamese-Australian people who inject drugs (PWID) (1996-2004).
- Social network studies (2000-2002, 2005-2007).
Main Results:
- Development of a research practice model for HCV and PWID.
- Emphasis on providing high-quality HCV test results.
- Establishment of best practices for pre- and post-test counseling through trust-building and comfortable engagement.
Conclusions:
- The developed model enhances research quality by prioritizing participant well-being and accurate results.
- Outreach-based pre- and post-test counseling is effective for people who inject drugs (PWID).
- Continuous engagement and trust-building are crucial for successful HCV research with vulnerable populations.
