This exciting grassroots initiative taps into the strengths and resources of communities in inner-city and
metropolitan areas to provide effective therapy for hepatitis C virus
(HCV)-positive people who inject drugs (PWIDs). Live meetings for small,
community-based groups of healthcare professionals will offer medical
and addiction-services specialists cutting-edge strategies to
collaboratively reach and treat HCV-positive PWIDs. Balancing clinical
data with real-world experience and insights, these educational events
will give participants the opportunity to interact directly with HCV and
harm-reduction experts as well as resources to use and share in the
practice setting. Strong local HCV-care networks will help build bridges
to HCV-infected PWIDs and allow these high-risk individuals access to
the care they need and deserve.
Goals of this educational initiative:
Prepare community-based HCV treaters to provide effective therapy for HCV-positive people who inject PWIDs
Increase HCV testing and treatment of PWIDs through proactive risk identification and referral by addiction-services centers
Educate HCV-care specialists and addiction-services personnel regarding harm-reduction principles and prevention of HCV reinfection
Build linkage to HCV-care networks within local/regional systems, drive high treatment and high sustained viral response (SVR) rates, and decrease incidence of HCV infection/reinfection within PWID populations
content
Community-BASED HCV Treaters
Part 1: Keys to Successful Treatment of HCV in People Who Inject Drugs
- The national and local epidemiologic imperative: HCV treatment as prevention within PWID populations
- Barriers to treatment of HCV-positive PWID: addressing clinical assumptions regarding eligibility and prescribing limitations
- Updates on clinical evidence for the feasibility and success of treating HCV-positive PWID
- Real-world integration: Optimizing sustained virologic response (SVR) and reinfection prevention in PWID
Part 2: Anatomy of Addiction
- The
direct risks and clinical ramifications of injection practices
- A holistic approach to harm reduction
- The HCV treater’s role in overdose-death prevention
- Educating the patient and the provider
- Optimizing interdisciplinary collaboration in support of HCV-positive PWIDs
COMMUNITY-BASED ADDICTION SERVICES PROVIDERS
- Understanding the need for referral and linkage to HCV care
- The national and local epidemiologic imperative: HCV treatment as prevention within PWID populations
- Barriers to treatment of HCV-positive PWID: addressing clinical assumptions regarding eligibility and prescribing limitations
- Updates on clinical evidence for the feasibility and success of treating HCV-positive PWID
- A holistic approach to harm reduction
- Real-world integration: optimizing collaboration with HCV care specialists
Continuing Medical Education (CME) INFORMATION
Community-BASED HCV Treaters
Target Audience
This educational initiative is intended for primary care, community HCV treaters, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, infectious disease specialists, as well as non-clinical office staff.
learning objectives
Upon completion of this program, HCV Treaters will be better able to:
- Discuss national and local epidemiologic data on HCV-positive PWID within the context of the opioid crisis
- Describe the feasibility, effectiveness, and population benefits of treating HCV-infected PWID
- Prescribe DAA-drug regimens for the treatment of HCV-infected PWID
- Apply harm-reduction principles and practices across the HCV-care continuum
- Evaluate peer-navigation support needs and capacities within the practice setting
COMMUNITY-BASED ADDICTION SERVICES PROVIDERS
Target Audience
This educational initiative is intended for addiction services/substance use disorder providers, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) providers, social workers, case managers, peer educators, peer advocates, as well as clinical and non-clinical office staff.
learning objectives
Upon completion of this program, addiction-services specialists will be better able to:
- Discuss national and local epidemiologic data on HCV-positive PWID that support the imperative for consistent screening of at-risk individuals
- Employ updated HCV-testing guidelines and ensure confirmatory testing of all HCV-antibody–positive patients
- Provide counseling to HCV-positive PWID on the feasibility, efficacy, and overall health benefits of HCV treatment
- Refer HCV-positive PWID to community-based HCV treaters for DAA therapy
- Educate PWID on harm-reduction principles and practices to prevent post-cure HCV reinfection
