Promotion of referral for out-of-hospital patients with hepatitis C to a hepatologist in the era of direct-acting antiviral therapy

Abstract

In Japan, oral direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C was introduced in 2014 and has been widely known for its high efficacy and safety. It contributes to an improved long-term prognosis in chronic liver disease. We conducted an intervention for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody-positive individuals who were not previously addressed to treat as many patients as possible. Of 1,180 eligible patients, 240 were contacted by medical institutions after excluding those with negative HCV RNA tests or HCV antibody titers < 4.0. Information letters were subsequently sent to 149 patients at their homes, and 9 patients made appointments to a hepatologist. Several studies on dealing with in-hospital patients have been conducted; however, only a few studies have focused on out-of-hospital patients. This intervention can help achieve microelimination and reduce the risk of litigation for patients from our hospital.