Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
Public healthcare system utilization for chronic hepatitis C infection in Vietnam
Phuong Nguyen Thi Ngoc1, Ngoc Nghiem My2, Sabrina Rasheed3
1Wellcome Asia Africa Programme, The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Insights
Healthcare access for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in Vietnam is influenced by personal and structural factors. Addressing these barriers, especially for women, is crucial for HCV elimination strategies.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection presents challenges to healthcare utilization due to its chronic, asymptomatic nature and costly treatment requirements.
- High treatment costs and the need for multiple hospital visits can negatively impact patient engagement with healthcare services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the determinants of healthcare-seeking behavior for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treatment.
- To analyze the influence of personal and structural factors on the number of hospital visits for HCV treatment in Vietnam.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of hospital data from 2017-2020 for patients treated for HCV infection.
- Poisson regression model utilized to assess the impact of demographic, clinical, and structural factors on hospital visit frequency.
Main Results:
- Over 22,000 patients sought HCV treatment, with a mean of 2.17 visits per person.
- Older age, health insurance, and comorbidities were associated with increased visits, while living further from the facility and residing in the South East region were linked to fewer visits.
- A notable decrease in visits occurred in 2019-2020, and while females initially had more visits, this trend reversed in subsequent years.
Conclusions:
- Both individual (age, comorbidities) and structural (health insurance, proximity) factors significantly affect the number of visits for HCV treatment.
- Addressing these multifaceted barriers is essential for Vietnam to achieve its global strategy for HCV elimination.
- Specific attention should be directed towards understanding and mitigating barriers faced by women in accessing HCV treatment.
Background:
Healthcare utilization is typically adversely affected when the treatment is expensive and requires multiple visits. We examined the determinants of healthcare-seeking for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which is asymptomatic, chronic, and requires costly treatment in an urban tertiary care referral hospital in Vietnam.
Methods:
We conducted a secondary analysis of hospital data for patients attending the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam between 2017 and 2020 specifically for HCV infection treatment. Poisson regression was used to determine the effect of personal factors (age, sex, comorbidities) and structural factors (health insurance, proximity to the facility, seasonality, year of visit) on the number of hospital visits.
Results:
From 2017 to 2020 a total of 22,052 eligible patients sought treatment in the hospital. Among the patients, 50.4% were males and 58.7% were > 50 years of age. The mean number of visits per person was 2.17. In the multivariate analysis compared to 2017, the number of hospital visits increased by 4% in 2018 and then significantly decreased in 2019 and 2020. Visit numbers were significantly lower (6%) among South East region residents compared to those from Central Highlands and for those who lived further away from the hospital. The visit numbers were significantly higher among older age groups (5-11%), those with health insurance (6%), and those with comorbidities (5%) compared to others. Although the number of hospital visits by females was higher (7%) than males in 2017, it significantly decreased in subsequent years.
Conclusions:
Our study indicated that there are both structural and individual factors affecting the number of visits for HCV treatment. To meet the global strategy for elimination of HCV, Vietnam Government needs to address the structural and personal barriers to healthcare seeking, with a special focus on women.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is...
01:28Esophageal Varices-II: Clinical Features and Management
In the initial assessment, a thorough review of the patient's medical history is vital to identify risk factors such as liver disease, alcohol...
01:26Traditional Level Of Health Care System
The preventive healthcare service includes tests for screening. Preventive health care services include identifying and reducing disease risk...
01:20Integrated Healthcare System
01:30Health Information Technology and Healthcare Information System
Health Information Technology, commonly called HIT, integrates advanced information systems and technology in healthcare settings. Its primary functions include: