Nationwide Survey of Hepatitis C Services Provided by Drug Treatment Programs

• NCJ Number: 196130
• Journal: Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 55-62
• Author(s): Sheila M. Strauss Ph.D.; Gregory P. Falkin Ph.D.; Zdravko Vassilev M.D.; Don C. Des Jarlais Ph.D.; Janetta Astone Ph.D.
• Editor(s): A. Thomas McLellan Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2002
• Length: 8 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1-R01 DA13409
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research Paper
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier draft of this paper was presented to the 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence held in Scottsdale, AZ, June 2001.

Annotation

This article presents information concerning drug treatment centers' provision of services related to Hepatitis C screening and treatment

Abstract

Analyzing data collected from 439 randomly sampled United States drug treatment providers the article described Hepatitis C (HCV) education, counseling, testing, and medical monitoring available through drug treatment programs. All providers used in the sample were listed in the October 1, 2000 Inventory of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (I-SATS). The relationship between drug use behaviors and HCV infection is presented and prior research on drug treatment programs and those programs’ provision of HCV services is referenced. Drug treatment programs used in the sample provided on-site services to at least 50 percent of their clients and services had to include treatment in excess of 7 days and in addition to detox. Data were collected by computer assisted interview. The data indicated that additional HCV services could be provided by drug treatment programs. The authors suggest that as these new service offerings are developed, they should be developed in concert with health care delivery systems. 43 references