Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Status and Barriers among Patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Clinics in Guangdong Province, China: A Cross-Sectional, Observational Study

Yin Liu, Xia Zou, Wen Chen, Cheng Gong and Li Ling
Additional contact information
Yin Liu: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Xia Zou: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Wen Chen: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Cheng Gong: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Li Ling: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: We aimed to evaluate the status and barriers related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment among Chinese methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clients, and the willingness and barriers of patients to accept directly observed treatment (DOT) service and oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We conducted a cross-sectional survey from July to October 2017 in Guangdong Province, China, involving 678 HCV antibody-positive MMT patients. If they reported being infected with HCV, then their HCV treatment experience, willingness to use DOT and DAAs, along with any barriers, were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the correlates of initiating HCV treatment. Among those reporting HCV infection (54%, 366/678), 39% (144/366) initiated treatment; however, 38% (55/144) interrupted and 55% (79/135) delayed treatment for 15 months. Seventy-five percent (273/366) and 53% (195/366) were willing to use DOT and DAAs, respectively. Unaffordable medical costs and insignificant symptoms were the major barriers to HCV treatment and accepting DOT or DAAs. The lack of a stable residence, being a woman, and having ever injected drugs were all associated with a low probability of initiating treatment ( p < 0.05). This study highlights a limited uptake of HCV treatment among MMT patients, and a need to strengthen the popularity of DOT and DAAs and integrate them into Chinese MMT clinics.

Keywords: methadone maintenance treatment; hepatitis C virus; treatment experience; directly observed treatment service; direct-acting antivirals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4436/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4436/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:22:p:4436-:d:286178

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().