Allegheny County, PA (1.225 million population) is innovating in HCV: The health department recently released a report describing barriers to HCV confirmatory testing and treatment within the county.
Their data driven approach is summarized in this superb article from HepVu with the county’s innovative Jennifer Fiddner, MPH,CIC, who is the co-chair of Hep C Free Allegheny and is the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program Supervisor at the Allegheny County Health Department in the Keystone State (serving a region that includes the City of Pittsburgh).
Key clip from HepVu’s interview-style article–
HEPVU QUESTION:
Data shows that despite advancements in Hepatitis C treatment; many people still don’t receive initial HCV testing. What are some of the most common barriers that prevent individuals from getting tested for HCV?
ANSWER by Jennifer Fiddner:
People, especially those at highest risk of infection, need consistent, low-barrier access to HCV testing. We launched our local HCV elimination initiative in 2018 after reviewing the results of our first survey of agencies that serve clients at high risk of HCV infection to assess access to testing and treatment services. The data revealed that people in Allegheny County who were at highest risk of infection did not have consistent access to testing services. We also held a listening session with members of a local syringe service provider’s Community Advisory Board. The CAB consisted of syringe service provider clients. Participants revealed that physical healthcare providers often did not offer HCV testing despite awareness of ongoing risk factors, and that they often felt judged by healthcare providers and their staff. Participants also shared that they were reluctant to make healthcare appointments solely for HCV testing and expressed a preference for testing and treatment service access at medication-assisted treatment clinics and correctional facilities, stressing the importance of providing these services at locations that they were more likely to visit.