Abstract
Background
In areas with a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, emergency department (ED) visits may provide unique opportunities for screening. The catchment area for Hahnemann University Hospital (HUH) has an HCV seroprevalence rate of >20%. However, limited data exist addressing HCV testing strategies in the ED. This study describes the experience of piloting a nurse-driven HCV screening protocol in an urban hospital ED.
Methods
A nurse-driven HCV screening protocol was developed and implemented on August 1, 2018. We performed a retrospective analysis of the protocol’s performance from July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018. Patients who were evaluated in the ED and had blood collected were analyzed. We provided universal HCV screening regardless of age or risk factors. If HCV-positive by antibody screen and viral load confirmation, an attempt was made to link patients to care. Linkage was defined as having received an inpatient evaluation by either infectious diseases or hepatology physician.
Results
Among 20,705 unique patients seen in the ED, 7841 (38%) had blood work collected. 821 (10.5%) patients had HCV antibody testing. After the implementation of the nurse-driven protocol, the testing rate increased from 68/1340 (5.1%) to 753/6501 (11.6%). 260 Baby Boomers (born between 1945–1965) were screened, of which 60 (23.1%) had positive screens. 561 non-Baby Boomers were screened, of which 30 (5.4%) had positive screens. Barriers of implementing nurse-driven protocol were: (1) multiple steps of the ordering process in the electronic medical record (EMR), (2) the complexity of staff schedules, and (3) staff concerns regarding the disclosure of HCV test results. Among the patients who were diagnosed with chronic HCV, 60 % were linked to care for treatment.
Conclusion
We piloted a nurse-driven universal HCV testing protocol in the ED of a hospital with high HCV prevalence. Though the screening rate doubled, it was still low. We identified barriers that may be addressed to improve future screening rates. In areas with a high seroprevalence of HCV, universal screening may be an excellent public health intervention to identify asymptomatic HCV-infected patients.
Disclosures
All authors: No reported disclosures.
Development and Refinement of a Persuasive Health Communication Intervention to Persuade Adult Emergency Department Patients to be Screened for HIV and Hepatitis C
