Peer Interventions for Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment in OECD Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Peer workers, individuals with lived experience, are recommended for hepatitis C (HCV) interventions.
• Existing HCV peer interventions lack documented characteristics and mechanisms driving their effectiveness.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimizing HCV care and elimination efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify the activities, outcomes, and mechanisms of change in HCV peer interventions.
• To assess the current state of knowledge regarding HCV peer support programs in OECD countries.
• To highlight gaps in the understanding of how peer interventions achieve their impact.

Main Methods:

• Systematic scoping review of peer-reviewed papers published between 2012-2022.
• Searched five major databases (Scopus, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science).
• Included studies describing HCV peer interventions in OECD countries, adhering to PRISMA extension guidelines.

Main Results:

• Twenty-nine studies met inclusion criteria; 23 involved peer workers delivering interventions.
• Peer interventions improved HCV care linkage, testing, treatment, and sustained virologic response (SVR12) rates.
• Peer workers reported personal benefits like increased confidence and well-being, but intervention mechanisms were rarely documented.

Conclusions:

• HCV peer interventions show positive outcomes for recipients and workers.
• A significant lack of detail on intervention activities and underlying mechanisms hinders optimization.
• This knowledge gap impedes efforts towards population-level HCV elimination.