A Yale School of Medicine initiative is delivering same-day hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnosis and treatment directly to Connecticut communities, according to a news release.

 

The COMPASS (COMPrehensive Approach to Screening and Same‑Day Treatment) program aims to eliminate the need for multiple clinic appointments or referrals, which can delay HCV care or lead to discontinued treatment.

 

Led by Frederick “Rick” Lewis Altice, MD, a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, the program dispatches outreach workers and peer navigators to work with individuals where they live and provide services immediately after diagnosis.

 

“When you tell someone to come back later, what they really hear is: You’re not worth it,” said Altice in the release. “Treatment is urgent, and we want to meet patients where they are and holistically treat them at the point of diagnosis.”

 

HCV is a contagious but curable disease caused by a blood-borne virus that infects the liver and can cause lifelong infection, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death. Current guidelines say all adults should be tested for HCV at least once, according to Hep’s Basics on HCV Testing.

 

“In minutes, the outreach team can confirm infection using the first Food and Drud Administration–authorized point-of-care hepatitis C RNA test, complete a rapid assessment and loop in a clinician by telemedicine to give the green light for immediate treatment,” said Altice.

 

HCV treatment is easier and shorter than ever before, and the vast majority of people can be cured with a brief course of combination antiviral therapy. Indeed, modern direct-acting antiviral therapy usually involves one pill once daily, usually for two or three months.

 

The medications are generally well tolerated, and more than 90% of treated people achieve a sustained virological response, meaning continued undetectable virus 12 or 24 months after completing therapy.

 

According to the release, COMPASS is being implemented in Connecticut’s highest-burden urban communities: New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New London.

 

What’s more, COMPASS addresses opioid use disorder, HIV, mental illness and homelessness. In fact, the program offers same-day medications for opioid use disorder, which can help individuals remain engaged in care and reduce the risk of overdose and HCV reinfection.

 

 “By moving treatment and prevention into the field, we’re building a model that shows you can safely decentralize care, reduce costs and still achieve high cure rates,” Altice said.

 

To read more, click #Hepatitis C or #Hepatitis C Treatment. There, you’ll see headlines such as “SAMHSA Awards $98M for Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot,” “Few Children With Hepatitis C Receive Treatment” and “Hepatitis C Testing 101.”