Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31072401›Full record

ArticleHarm reduction journal2019

Changes to the national strategies, plans and guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C in people who inject drugs between 2013 and 2016: a cross-sectional survey of 34 European countries.

Mojca Maticic, Jerneja Videcnik Zorman, Sergeja Gregorcic, Eberhard Schatz, Jeffrey V Lazarus

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Harm reduction journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Mojca MaticicClinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Illnesses, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva Str 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. mojca.maticic@kclj.si.
Jerneja Videcnik ZormanClinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Illnesses, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva Str 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Sergeja GregorcicClinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Illnesses, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Japljeva Str 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Eberhard SchatzCorrelation Network, Foundation De RegenboogGroep, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1636-790X
Jeffrey V LazarusBarcelona Institute forGlobal Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Ljubljana University Medical Centre · SIBarcelona Institute for Global Health · ESHersenstichting · NLUniversity of Ljubljana · SI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading cause of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. In Europe, people who inject drugs (PWID) represent the majority of HCV infections, but are often excluded from treatment. The aim of this study was to report on national HCV strategies, action plans and guidelines in European countries that include HCV treatment for the general population as well as for PWID. Data on access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) were also collected.

methodsIn 2016, 38 non-governmental organisations, universities and public health institutions that work with PWID in 34 European countries were invited to complete a 16-item online survey about current national HCV treatment policies and guidelines. Data from 2016 were compared to those from 2013 for 33 European countries, and time trends are presented. Differences in the data were analysed. Data from 2016 on general access to DAAs in PWID are presented separately.

resultsThe response rate was 100%. Fourteen countries (42%) reported having a national HCV strategy covering HCV treatment; 12 of these addressed HCV treatment for PWID. Respondents from ten countries (29%) reported having a national HCV action plan. PWID were specifically included in seven of them. Twenty-nine countries (85%) reported having national HCV treatment guidelines. PWID were specifically included in 23 (79%) of them. Compared to 2013, respondents reported that an additional seven countries (25%) had national strategies, an additional eight countries (29%) had action plans and an additional six countries (19%) had HCV treatment guidelines. However, PWID were not included in two, four and six of those countries, respectively. DAAs were reported to be available in 91% of the study countries, with restrictions reported in 71% of them.

conclusionRespondents reported that fewer than half of the European countries in this study had a national HCV strategy and/or action plan, with even fewer including PWID. However, when compared to 2013, the number of such countries had slightly increased. Although PWID are often addressed in clinical guidelines, strategic action is needed to increase access to HCV treatment for this group and the situation should be regularly monitored.

Indexed as

Health PolicyAntiviral AgentsComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesEuropeHealth Services AccessibilityHepatitis C, ChronicHumansPractice Guidelines as TopicSubstance Abuse, IntravenousSurveys and QuestionnairesAntiviral AgentsCross-sectional surveyEuropeHepatitis CPeople who inject drugsViral hepatitis policy

Identifiers

PMID31072401
PMCPMC6509821
OpenAlexW2947413454

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.