Treatment initiation rates of patients with positive anti-hepatitis C virus results in tertiary hospitals in Turkey.

The aim of this national, multicenter, cross-sectional, retrospective chart review study was to determine the proportion of patients in Turkey who received hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment after receiving positive anti-HCV results during HCV screening. Data related to patients' demographics, laboratory results, time interval from obtaining a positive anti-HCV result to treatment initiation, specialty of the physician requesting anti-HCV screening, and type of hospital were analyzed. Among 1,000 patients who received a positive anti-HCV result, 50.3% were male and 78.5% were screened for HCV-RNA. Among HCV-RNA screened patients, 54.8% (n = 430) had a positive result. Among patients who tested positive for HCV-RNA, 72.8% received HCV treatment in line with their positive anti-HCV results. The median time from obtaining a positive anti-HCV result to initiation of HCV treatment was 91.0 days (interquartile range 42.0 to 178.5). Non-surgical branches requested HCV-RNA testing more frequently than surgical branches (p < 0.001). The rate of access to HCV treatment was higher among patients screened in university hospitals than among patients screened in training and research hospitals (p < 0.001). Our results indicate a higher rate of treatment initiation among patients with HCV infection than is described in the published literature. Furthermore, the time from screening to treatment initiation was considerably shorter compared with other international studies. However, since HCV-RNA testing was not requested in a significant portion of patients with a positive anti-HCV test result, there might be a large patient population with HCV who do not receive treatment.

Informations de copyright

Copyright (c) 2024 Mustafa K Çelen, Buket Ertürk Şengel, Şafak Kaya, Neşe Demirtürk, Alpay Azap, Hüsnü Pullukçu, Esma Eroğlu, Figen Yıldırım, Hüseyin Ş Barut, Esra Zerdali, Ayşe Sağmak Tartar, Ayşe Ö Mete, Ahmet M Şahin, Bedia Mutay Suntur, Nagehan D Sarı, Emel Yılmaz, Aslıhan Candevir, Funda Şimşek, Dilara İnan, Sıla Akhan, Ali Asan, Özgür Günal, Onur Ural, Mehmet Parlak, Mehmet Çabalak, Selçuk Nazik, Kenan Hızel, Sami Kınıklı, Zehra Beştepe Dursun, Ayşe Batırel, Çiğdem Mermutluoğlu.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Mustafa K Çelen has served as a consultant for AbbVie, Gilead, MSD, Pharmactive, İlko, GSK, and Abdi İbarahim; as a speaker for Gilead, MSD, Pharmactive, İlko, and GSK; and has received research funding from AbbVie, Gilead, MSD, and GSK. Buket Ertürk Şengel has served as a consultant for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Şafak Kaya has served as a consultant for AbbVie; as a speaker for Gilead, Abdi İbrahim, and Pharmactive; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Neşe Demirtürk has served as a speaker for Nobel, Gilead, and Abdi İbrahim; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Alpay Azap has served as a consultant for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Hüsnü Pullukçu has served as a consultant for AbbVie, Gilead, GSK, and MSD; as a speaker for AbbVie, Gilead, GSK, İlko, and MSD; and has received research funding from AbbVie, and Gilead. Esma Eroğlu has received research funding from AbbVie. Figen Yıldırım has served as a consultant for AbbVie, Gilead, GSK, Santa Farma, and İlko; as a speaker for Gilead, GSK, Santa Farma, and İlko; and has received research funding from AbbVie, and Gilead. Hüseyin Ş Barut has received research funding from AbbVie. Esra Zerdali has served as a consultant for Gilead, GSK, and MSD; as a speaker for Gilead, İlko, and GSK; and has received research funding from AbbVie, and Gilead. Ayşe Sağmak Tartar has served as a speaker for Pharmactive, Pfizer, and Astellas; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Ayşe Ö Mete has served as a consultant for AbbVie and Gilead; has served as a speaker for AbbVie, Gilead, Pharmactive, Pfizer, GSK, and Abdi İbrahim; has received research funding from AbbVie, Pfizer, and Neutec; and has received congress participation support from Gilead, and Pfizer. Ahmet M Şahin has served as a consultant and a speaker for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Bedia Mutay Suntur has served as a speaker for Gilead, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Nagehan D Sarı has served as a consultant for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Emel Yılmaz has served as a speaker for AbbVie, İlko, and Abdi İbrahim; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Aslıhan Candevir has served as a consultant and a speaker for AbbVie, Gilead, Pfizer, GSK, Pharmactive, Santa and Farma; and has received research funding from AbbVie, Gilead, Pfizer, GSK, Pharmactive, and Santa Farma. Funda Şimşek has served as a consultant and a speaker for Gilead, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Dilara İnan has served as a consultant for Gilead, GSK, and MSD; as a speaker for AbbVie, Gilead, GSK, İlko, and MSD; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Sıla Akhan has served as a consultant for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Ali Asan has served as a consultant for AbbVie; as a speaker for AbbVie and Gilead; and has received research funding from AbbVie, and Gilead. Özgür Günal has served as a consultant and a speaker for AbbVie, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Onur Ural has received research funding from AbbVie. Mehmet Parlak has received research funding from AbbVie. Mehmet Çabalak has served as a consultant and a speaker for AbbVie, Gilead, MSD, and Pharmactive; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Selçuk Nazik has served as a consultant for AbbVie; as a speaker for İlko; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Kenan Hızel has received research funding from AbbVie. Sami Kınıklı has served as a speaker for Gilead, and has received research funding from AbbVie. Zehra Beştepe Dursun has received research funding from AbbVie. Ayşe Batırel has served as a consultant and a speaker for Gilead, Pfizer, and Santa Farma; and has received research funding from AbbVie. Çiğdem Mermutluoğlu has no conflict of interest to declare.