Targeted hepatitis C antibody testing interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses significant risks for liver-related morbidity.
• Early detection through testing facilitates timely treatment and care, potentially reducing disease progression.
• Targeted testing interventions aim to identify individuals at increased risk for HCV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of targeted HCV testing interventions.
• To assess the impact on HCV case detection, treatment uptake, and liver-related morbidity prevention.
• To compare practitioner-based versus media/information-based interventions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted for studies published up to 2013.
• Meta-analysis was used to synthesize results from studies comparing targeted HCV testing with no targeted intervention.
• Interventions were categorized as practitioner-based or media/information-based.

Main Results:

• Targeted HCV testing interventions significantly increased case detection (RR 1.7) and treatment initiation (RR 3.3).
• Practitioner-based interventions were more effective, increasing test uptake (RR 3.5) and case detection (RR 2.2).
• Media/information-based interventions showed less significant impact on case detection (RR 1.3).

Conclusions:

• Targeted HCV testing strategies are effective in diagnosing infections and increasing treatment uptake.
• Practitioner-based interventions yield the most favorable outcomes for HCV case finding and treatment.
• Testing should be prioritized for populations with high HCV prevalence and individuals with a history of risk behaviors.