CSAM Scientific Conference presentation on Hep C care innovations
CSAM Scientific Conference presentation on Hep C care innovations
Recently, at the annual Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM-SMCA) 2022 Scientific Conference, we presented on how we were able to improve Hepatitis C (HCV) care at scale during the COVID-19 pandemic using several innovative, tech-based interventions.
As Canada’s trusted community partner for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) CATC offers seamless HCV screening and linkage to care via a satellite team of nurses and specialists. We’re proud that ours is the only program of its kind in the country, vastly expanding access to care for thousands of people in need. This is especially important given that 3 out of 4 new Hepatitis C infections are people who inject drugs.
During the pandemic, Hep C quality of care indicators dropped considerably. By piloting several innovative interventions we were able to adapt to COVID-19 isolation and IPAC measures, increasing screenings by 309% and appointment attendance by 21%.
Credit: Kate Johnston (Director, Clinical Services, CATC), Brittany Domm (Hepatitis C Case Manager, CATC)
These interventions included:
- Point of Care Integration, providing dried blood spot testing alongside treatment for opioid use disorder OAT.
- Patient Texting, providing important reminders for upcoming appointments.
- Virtual Walk-Ins, allowing patients to access screening more easily.
About CSAM
The Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine educates our communities and government about the prevention, assessment, and treatment of substance use disorders, helping establish guidelines and standards. Their national scientific conference is Canada’s premier event for sharing scientific research and emerging best practices.
Our Research
Learn more about our research and about how the pandemic has made Hep C worse (and what we’re doing about it).