Theme: Models of Care Year: 2022
Background:
Basque Health Department-Osakidetza is implementing a project called “Action lines for the
prevention and control of hepatitis C in the Basque Country”. One of the strategies adopted is the
treatment of people who have used intravenous drugs in Addiction Centers (AC), which simplifies
access to diagnosis and treatment.
Description of model of care/intervention:
We decided to actively look for HCV-infected patients through database cross-checking. We
identified the patients in the three AC of our community since January 1, 2019, and we crossed this
list with HCV serological studies carried out by Osakidetza. Thus, we have identified three groups of
patients: a) HCV-RNA+, b) HCV Ab+, without HCV-RNA determination, and c) patients not tested for
HCV, candidates for study and treatment.
Effectiveness:
We have identified 178 people who had been already treated or had cleared infection
spontaneously; other 2 were not treated due to terminal illness and farmacological interaction, 9
patients had died, 16 were coinfected with HIV and followed and treated by Infectious Department
and 9 had abandoned our community. We finally have identified and treated in the AC 22 patients
(18 have achieved SVR and 2 are pending), 2 are on treatment, 5 had spontaneously cleared HCV
and we have detected 20 more patients to test and treat, if positive.
Conclusion and next steps:
1. After cross-checking the patient lists we have found that, between the time of their
preparation and the performance of the intervention, which was delayed due to the
pandemic, many patients had already been referred to the hospital and treated there.
2. This gives us an idea of the awareness of psychiatrists about the importance of detecting
and treating Hepatitis C in this group of patients.
3. Adherence to treatment was very high and SVR so far is 100% in our series.
Disclosure of Interest Statement:
Nothing to disclose.