Conquering Hepatitis C Via Micro-Elimination in Southwest Virginia

Micro-elimination of Hepatitis C in a Rural Appalachian Community: The Implementation and Expansion of an Innovative Collaborative Care Model of Telehealth and Knowledge Sharing Focusing on People Who Inject Drugs

The objective of this protocol is to conduct a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of the impact of our innovative collaborative telehealth HCV care model on patient treatment experiences and quality of life.

The investigators will evaluate the proportion of patients at each step of the HCV care cascade before and after implementation of the collaborative care model. Additionally, participants will complete questionnaires at three time points: at the initiation of hepatitis C treatment, at treatment completion, and at the assessment of sustained virologic response. Questionnaires will assess quality of life, mental health, chronic liver disease outcomes, and substance use. A subset of participants will also complete semi-structured interviews at each of the three time points. Then, a smaller subset of participants will be selected for a detailed ethnographic case study focusing on treatment experiences, quality of life, forms of social support, and illness experience.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years or older
• Detectable HCV viral load
• Attended a clinic appointment at one of our participating sites

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cognitive disability such that informed consent cannot be obtained
• Prisoners
• Unable to understand English