Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31754442›Full record

ArticleJournal of virus eradication2019

Modelling the impact of different testing strategies for HCV infection in Switzerland.

Maryam Sadeghimehr, Barbara Bertisch, Christian Schaetti, Gilles Wandeler, Jean-Luc Richard, Claude Scheidegger, Olivia Keiser, Janne Estill

Open access · goldAbstract readEditorial
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of virus eradication, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 39% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Maryam SadeghimehrInstitute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Barbara BertischInstitute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Christian SchaettiFederal Office of Public Health, Public Health Directorate, Bern, Switzerland.
Gilles WandelerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Jean-Luc RichardFederal Office of Public Health, Public Health Directorate, Bern, Switzerland.
Claude ScheideggerPrivate practice, Basel, Switzerland.
Olivia KeiserInstitute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Janne EstillInstitute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
University of Geneva · CHFederal Office of Public Health · CHFreiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft · CHInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of liver disease. Since symptoms of chronic liver disease usually appear only late in the course of the disease, infected individuals may remain undiagnosed until advanced disease has developed. We aimed to investigate which screening strategies would be most effective to detect individuals unaware of their infection.

methodsWe developed a mathematical model for HCV disease progression and compared the current practice of HCV testing in Switzerland with the following screening strategies: intensive screening of active injection drug users (IDU), screening of former IDU, screening of individuals originating from countries with high HCV prevalence, screening of individuals born 1951-1985 (birth-cohort) and universal screening. All screening interventions were considered in addition to a baseline scenario that reflected the current practice of HCV testing.

resultsWithin the first 4 years (2018-2021), every year, on average 650 cases were diagnosed in the baseline scenario, 660 with intensified IDU screening, 760 with former IDU screening, 830 with origin-based screening, 1420 with birth-cohort screening and 1940 with universal screening. No difference in liver-related mortality and incidence of end-stage liver disease between the screening scenarios was observed.

conclusionOur results suggest that only large-scale screening of the general population could substantially accelerate the rate of HCV diagnosis and treatment in Switzerland and other countries with similar epidemics. However, this implies screening of a large population with low prevalence, and may trigger considerable numbers of false-positive and borderline test results.

Indexed as

hepatitis C infectionmathematical modelscreening

Identifiers

PMID31754442
PMCPMC6844406
OpenAlexW2995966084

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.