Vojt, Gabriele and Bonnet, Philippe and Scott, Jennifer and Hathorn, Emma and Ellis, Lisa and Bufton, Sally and Mutimer, David and Buchanan, Ryan and Reid, Leila and Morris, Danny and Elsharkawy, Ahmed (2025) Peer-delivered outreach with rapid treatment pathways for hepatitis C testing and treatment among unhoused people. Journal of Viral Hepatitis, 32, (10), e70085. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvh.70085.
External website: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvh.70...
This service evaluation describes the co-development of a peer-led rapid hepatitis C virus (HCV) pathway to reach unhoused people. A trained and qualified peer worker visited homeless shelters in West Midlands, England, setting up test and treatment events and collaborating with local services and healthcare staff who also attended the sites. The peer worker offered point of care HCV antibody and ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing for individuals at risk of HCV, peer education and support before and during treatment. Viraemic individuals were offered immediate treatment prescribed by local HCV clinical specialist nurses who attended the homeless shelters with the peer worker. Among the 140 tested individuals, 72 people (51.4%) were HCV antibody positive and 42 (30.0%) were HCV RNA positive. All participants had a history of injecting drug use. The majority were male (75.0%), with a mean age of 39 years and of white ethnicity (89.4%). Treatment uptake was 100.0%, and known treatment completion was 92.3%. Treatment uptake within 2 weeks was 57.1%. Findings suggest that the co-developed and peer-led HCV test and treat pathway is promising in case finding, testing and treating marginalised, unhoused people.
G Health and disease > Disease by cause (Aetiology) > Communicable / infectious disease > Hepatitis C (HCV)
HA Screening, identification, and diagnostic method > Physical / medical screening, assessment and diagnostic method
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Harm reduction > Substance use harm reduction
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Identification and screening
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health related issues > Health information and education > Communicable / infectious disease control
L Social psychology and related concepts > Interpersonal interaction and group dynamics > Peer relations / social networks
L Social psychology and related concepts > Interpersonal interaction and group dynamics > Social support > Peer support or coaching
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Social services > Outreach
T Demographic characteristics > Homeless / unhoused person
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom > England
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