Hepatitis C Infection and Treatment among Injecting Drug Users Attending General Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Meera Tandan (), Shane Dunlea and Gerard Bury
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Meera Tandan: General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
Shane Dunlea: General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
Gerard Bury: General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: Background: The care provided in general practice to intravenous drug users (IDUs) with hepatitis C (HCV) extends beyond opioid substitution therapy. An aggregated analysis of HCV service utilization within general practice specifically related to diagnosis and treatment outcomes remains unknown from previous literature. Aims: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of HCV and analyze data related to the diagnosis and treatment-related outcomes of HCV patients with a history of intravenous drug use in the general practice setting. Design and setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis in general practice. Methods: This review included studies published in the following databases: EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Two reviewers independently extracted data in standard forms in Covidence. A meta-analysis was done using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model with inverse variance weighting. Results: A total of 20,956 patients from 440 general practices participated in the 18 selected studies. A meta-analysis of 15 studies showed a 46% (95% confidence interval (CI), 26–67%) prevalence rate of hepatitis C amongst IDUs. Genotype information was available in four studies and treatment-related outcomes in 11 studies. Overall, treatment uptake was 9%, with a cure rate of 64% (95% CI, 43–83%). However, relevant information, such as specific treatment regimens, treatment duration and doses, and patient comorbidities, was poorly documented in these studies. Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV in IDUs is 46% in general practice. Only ten studies reported HCV-related treatment outcomes; however, the overall uptake rate was below 10%, with a cure rate of 64%. Likewise, the genotypic variants of HCV diagnoses, medication types, and doses were poorly reported, suggesting a need for further research into this aspect of care within this patient group to ensure optimal treatment outcomes.

Keywords: hepatitis C; injecting drug users; general practice; treatment; primary care; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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