Theme: Clinical Research Year: 2022
Background: Many people living with and at-risk of hepatitis C experience systemic barriers to
engaging with healthcare in conventional primary and tertiary care settings. Achieving hepatitis C
elimination is therefore contingent on increasing the availability of hepatitis C care, and embedding
models of care into community health settings. However, expanding hepatitis C care into community
health settings requires a highly person-centred approach, which prioritises the needs of people who
are receiving care, and empowers them to become actively involved in their own treatment
journeys.
Methods: The Tasmanian Eliminate Hepatitis C Australian Outreach Project has successfully
implemented nurse-led, hepatitis C care across needle and syringe programs, alcohol and other drug
services and mental health services. Importantly, the success of the model has depended on a highly
person-centred approach, which is tailored to the needs and priorities of people who receive
hepatitis C care through the project.
Outcome/Results: We will present two case studies which demonstrate the importance of a personcentred approach when implementing hepatitis C care in community settings, including: (1) a person
living with hepatitis C experiencing severe mental illness, who required intensive follow-up and (2) a
person living with hepatitis C experiencing homelessness who had multiple difficulties accessing
hepatitis C treatment.
Conclusions/Applications: It is widely acknowledged that a person-centred approach is fundamental
to the delivery of hepatitis C care. However, the energy and compassion required to retain people
living with complex and competing priorities in hepatitis C care is often underestimated or
overlooked. Our model of care provides critical insights into the provision of person-centred
hepatitis C care in community health settings.
Disclosure of Interest Statement: This project was funded by the Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia
Partnership which is funded through the Paul Ramsay Foundation with support from the Burnet
Institute.