Description of a new hepatitis C risk assessment tool.
Publication/Presentation Date
9-26-2005
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Because of the low prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population, mass screening would be expensive and of low yield. Some researchers advocate targeted screening of persons at elevated HCV risk.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study aimed to develop a patient-administered tool to assess HCV infection risk. Two hundred seven patients with unknown HCV status from a general medicine practice and 222 HCV-positive patients from a hepatology practice completed a 72-item survey about demographic, social, and clinical risk factors for HCV infection. General medicine patients also underwent HCV serologic testing.
RESULTS: Three (1.5%) of 207 general medicine patients had positive HCV antibody test results. These patients plus the 222 hepatology patients were significantly more likely than HCV-negative patients to report an array of factors. In a multivariable model, 7 factors remained significantly associated with HCV infection: sex with a prostitute or an injecting drug user, exposure to blood products, refusal as a blood donor or as a life insurance applicant, witnessing illicit drug use, and self-reported HBV infection. A simplified model that assigned 1 point for each factor present predicted HCV infection as well as a weighted model (based on chi(2) testing and receiver operating characteristic curve comparison). In a population with a 2% prevalence of HCV infection, people who identified 2 risk factors had a 10% chance of HCV infection, whereas those with 4 or more risk factors had a 50% chance.
CONCLUSIONS: A self-administered 72-item questionnaire can stratify patients into HCV risk groups. If validated in other primary care populations, this instrument could help target HCV screening.
Volume
165
Issue
17
First Page
2013
Last Page
2018
ISSN
0003-9926
Published In/Presented At
Nguyen, M. T., Herrine, S. K., Laine, C. A., Ruth, K., & Weinberg, D. S. (2005). Description of a new hepatitis C risk assessment tool. Archives of internal medicine, 165(17), 2013–2018. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.165.17.2013
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
16186472
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article