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HCV/HIV Testing in Routine Primary Care

Assessing the effects

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Integrating dual-routine HCV/HIV testing in a primary care setting is possible and leads to increased HCV and HIV screening, enhanced seropositivity diagnosis, and improved linkage to care. This according to a study in which routine HCV and opt-out HIV testing replaced routine HCV and opt-in HIV testing during routine primary care at 4 community health centers. Researchers found:

  • Dual-routine testing resulted in a 23.7% increase in HCV testing and a 124.7% increase in HIV testing.
  • Dual-routine testing resulted in a 44.3% increase in HCV antibody-positive and RNA-positive tests, as well as a 225.0% increase in HIV-positive tests.
  • Linkage to care increased from 27 currently infected HCV-positive patients and 1 HIV-positive patient before dual-routine testing to 39 HCV-positive patients and 9 HIV-positive patients since dual-routine testing.

Citation: Coyle C, Kwakwa H. Dual-routine HCV/HIV testing: seroprevalence and linkage to care in four community health centers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Public Health Rep. 2016 Jan-Feb;131 Suppl 1:41-52.

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