Facilitated Telemedicine in the Catholic Health System
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: HCV. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Hepatitis C Virus Management Through Facilitated Telemedicine Integrated Into Opioid Treatment Programs: Catholic Health System Experience
Overview
Hepatitis C virus is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally with the highest prevalence and incidence among people with opioid use disorder. We aim to establish facilitated telemedicine as a standard of care treatment approach at 3 opioid treatment programs operated by the Catholic Health System. This study is a chart review data analysis to evaluate outcomes of facilitated telemedicine integrated into opioid treatment programs and to evaluate the number of individuals who initiate and complete treatment for hepatitis C virus infection.
Detailed description
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally with the highest prevalence and incidence among people with opioid use disorder. In 2013, direct-acting antivirals were introduced for HCV treatment: all oral medications with minimal side effects and excellent efficacy when taken for 2-3 months. However, only 34% of eligible individuals received direct-acting antivirals between 2013 and 2022. Moreover, HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals was substantially lower among people with opioid use disorder. Access to highly effective HCV treatment by the populations with the greatest need remains inadequate.
To address this issue, we propose that facilitated telemedicine could be a bridge to integrate HCV treatment into opioid treatment programs. In our model, telemedicine encounters are facilitated by a case manager who is also a patient advocate and an educator. We recently completed a randomized clinical trial that compared facilitated telemedicine integrated into opioid treatment programs for HCV treatment compared to offsite referral. The HCV cure rate was 90.3% in facilitated telemedicine compared to 39.4% in offsite referral.
In the proposed project, we seek to establish facilitated telemedicine as a standard of care treatment approach at 3 opioid treatment programs operated by the Catholic Health System.
Primary outcome measures
- HCV Treatment Initiation [Time frame: 1 year]
- HCV Sustained Virologic Response [Time frame: 1 year]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- evidence of active HCV infection
Exclusion criteria
- no evidence of active HCV infection
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- Talal AH, Markatou M, Liu A, Perumalswami PV, Dinani AM, Tobin JN, Brown LS. Integrated Hepatitis C-Opioid Use Disorder Care Through Facilitated Telemedicine: A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2024 Apr 23;331(16):1369-1378. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.2452. PMID 38568601
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06483451 · STUDY00008372