Observational studyThe Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy2019
From peer-based to peer-led: redefining the role of peers across the hepatitis C care pathway: HepCare Europe.
Observational study in The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- "You are helping from the heart not just from the head": a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the experiences of peer workers working with people experiencing homelessness and substance use.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Interventions to increase linkage to care and adherence to treatment for hepatitis C among people who inject drugs: A systematic review and practical considerations from an expert panel consultation.The International journal on drug policy · 2022Pooled it
- Peer-assisted telemedicine hepatitis-C treatment for people who use drugs in rural communities: a mixed methods study.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2025Trial
- Lessons learned from viral hepatitis testing that inform law and policy responses to steatotic liver disease.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2026Review
- Peer Interventions for Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment in OECD Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review.Journal of viral hepatitis · 2026Article
- Mapping experiences of workplace stigma and discrimination within the lived-living experience of illicit drug use and bloodborne virus peer workforce: a scoping review.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- 'You've Just Got to Keep Pestering': Barriers and Enablers of Attaining Continuity of Hepatitis C Care for People Transitioning Between Prison and Community Health Services in South-East Queensland, Australia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Progress and challenges in the elimination of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Germany: results of a pilot study for a national monitoring system, 10 years after the first data collection.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- A novel multisite model to facilitate hepatitis C virus elimination in people experiencing homelessness.JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology · 2024Article
- Article
- Towards eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat: different speeds, different needs.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2024Article
- Decrease in active hepatitis C infection among people who use drugs in Madrid, Spain, 2017 to 2023: a retrospective study.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2024Article
- Multi-infection screening for migrant patients in UK primary care: Challenges and opportunities.Journal of migration and health · 2024Article
- Time-to-hepatitis C treatment initiation among people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia.Epidemiology and infection · 2023Article
- The forgotten people: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as a priority for the inclusion health agenda.eLife · 2023Article
- A pilot sentinel surveillance system to monitor treatment and treatment outcomes of chronic hepatitis B and C infections in clinical centres in three European countries, 2019.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2023Article
- Pilot Outreach Program in Remedis-The Promising Step toward HCV Elimination among People Who Inject Drugs.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- HepCare Plus: Enhancing Primary Care Identification and Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus in High-Risk Individuals.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- VirA+EmiC project: Evaluating real-world effectiveness and sustainability of integrated routine opportunistic hepatitis B and C testing in a large urban emergency department.Journal of viral hepatitis · 2022Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHCV infection disproportionately affects underserved populations such as homeless individuals, people who inject drugs and prison populations. Peer advocacy can enable active engagement with healthcare services and increase the likelihood of favourable treatment outcomes.
objectivesThis observational study aims to assess the burden of disease in these underserved populations and describe the role of peer support in linking these individuals to specialist treatment services.
methodsServices were identified if they had a high proportion of individuals with risk factors for HCV, such as injecting drug use or homelessness. Individuals were screened for HCV using point-of-care tests and a portable FibroScan. All positive cases received peer support for linkage to specialist care. Information was gathered on risk factors, demographics and follow-up information regarding linkage to care and treatment outcomes.
resultsA total of 461 individuals were screened, of which 197 (42.7%) were chronically infected with HCV. Referral was made to secondary care for 176 (89.3%) and all received peer support, with 104 (52.8%) individuals engaged with treatment centres. Of these, 89 (85.6%) started treatment and 76 (85.4%) had a favourable outcome. Factors associated with not being approved for treatment were recent homelessness, younger age and current crack cocaine injecting.
conclusionsHighly trained peer support workers working as part of a specialist outreach clinical team help to identify a high proportion of individuals exposed to HCV, achieve high rates of engagement with treatment services and maintain high rates of treatment success amongst a population with complex needs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.