Preston Regan, Lim Eric, McGough Shirley, Boardman Glenn, Heslop Karen
Curtin School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences Curtin University Bentley Western Australia Australia.
South Metropolitan Health Service, Digital Health Myaree Western Australia Australia.
Health Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 11;8(7):e71039. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.71039. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Micro-elimination education can improve access to life-saving treatments for patients with hepatitis C, co-occurring mental health conditions, and alcohol and other drug use disorders. The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is disproportionately prevalent among people with mental health conditions and alcohol and other drug issues, reducing their life expectancy. Although hepatitis C is a curable condition, this population frequently remains untested and untreated. Micro-elimination programs are necessary to enhance hepatitis C virus screening and treatment rates. This study aims to evaluate the impact of micro-elimination education on healthcare providers' confidence in identifying high-risk HCV populations, conducting HCV screenings and treatments, and managing comorbid substance use disorders. Additionally, it will assess referrals to a nurse-led HCV treatment clinic.
A quasi-experimental pre-posttest intervention design was used. The intervention was an education program targeted at HCV micro-elimination and linkage to care.
Questionnaires were administered to ( = 101) healthcare providers to measure changes in confidence in screening and treating HCV in people with comorbid mental health conditions and alcohol and other drug disorders pre- and post-intervention. Pre-intervention, healthcare providers reported the highest confidence levels in treating mental health conditions. A significant increase in post-education confidence in screening and treating the HCV across all healthcare provider roles was observed ( < 0.05). Twenty-three referrals were received at the nurse-led hepatitis C virus treatment clinic, with the majority ( = 11) of referrals received from nurses.
This study underscores the significance of micro-elimination education programs in enhancing healthcare provider confidence in treating hepatitis C. Leveraging the mental health nursing workforce to connect high-risk populations with hepatitis C care will expand timely access to life-saving treatments and optimize healthcare outcomes. Targeted hepatitis C micro-elimination education will further accelerate progress toward the 2030 elimination goals, enhancing the overall well-being of vulnerable populations.
微量消除教育可改善丙型肝炎患者、同时患有精神健康问题以及酒精和其他药物使用障碍患者获得挽救生命治疗的机会。丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）在有精神健康问题以及酒精和其他药物问题的人群中流行率过高，缩短了他们的预期寿命。尽管丙型肝炎是可治愈的疾病，但这一人群往往仍未接受检测和治疗。微量消除计划对于提高丙型肝炎病毒筛查和治疗率至关重要。本研究旨在评估微量消除教育对医疗服务提供者在识别高危HCV人群、进行HCV筛查和治疗以及管理共病物质使用障碍方面的信心的影响。此外，它还将评估转介至由护士主导的HCV治疗诊所的情况。
采用类实验前后测干预设计。干预措施是一项针对HCV微量消除及与护理联系的教育计划。
对101名医疗服务提供者进行问卷调查，以测量干预前后在筛查和治疗同时患有精神健康问题以及酒精和其他药物障碍的人群中的HCV方面信心的变化。干预前，医疗服务提供者在治疗精神健康问题方面报告的信心水平最高。观察到所有医疗服务提供者角色在教育后对筛查和治疗HCV的信心有显著提高（P<0.05）。由护士主导的丙型肝炎病毒治疗诊所收到了23份转介，其中大多数（11份）转介来自护士。
本研究强调了微量消除教育计划在增强医疗服务提供者治疗丙型肝炎信心方面的重要性。利用精神健康护理人员将高危人群与丙型肝炎护理联系起来，将扩大及时获得挽救生命治疗的机会，并优化医疗结果。有针对性的丙型肝炎微量消除教育将进一步加速实现2030年消除目标的进展，提高弱势群体的整体福祉。
