Hepatitis C therapy at home: A hospital and home care partnership

摘要

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant public health threat in the UK, and is both underdiagnosed and undertreated. The treatment episode takes between 12 and 48 weeks. In the UK, HCV management is undertaken in secondary and tertiary centres. This does not meet the needs of all patients; they may have to travel long distances, incur travel costs, wait a long time to be seen and negotiate time off work while not divulging their illness. Providing care at home can increase patients' access to and acceptability of treatment, especially in areas remote from specialist centres. This paper describes the feasibility, safety and efficacy of treating HCV infected patients at home by a partnership between secondary care and an clinical home care company. The home care model had a significantly higher attendance rate than the clinic model. It allowed the trust to improve care at no extra cost. This model can optimise specialist nurses' time, allowing them to focus on patients with more complex needs.