INTRODUCTION: Linkage to care among individuals with substance misuse remains a barrier to the elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to determine whether point-of-care (PoC) education, screening and staging for liver disease with direct access to hospitals would improve linkage to care among this group. METHODS: All participants were offered PoC education and HCV screening. HCV-positive participants were randomised to standard care (controls) or direct access, which provided a direct pathway to hospitals. Linkage to care was determined by reviewing electronic medical records. Linkage of care cascade was defined as attendance at the specialist clinic, confirmation of viraemia by HCV RNA testing, discussion about HCV treatment and initiation of treatment. RESULTS: 351 halfway house residents were screened. The overall HCV prevalence was 30.5% (n = 107), with 69 residents in the control group and 38 in the direct access group. The direct access group had a significantly higher percentage of cases linked to specialist review for confirmatory RNA testing (63.2% vs. 40.6%, p = 0.025), HCV treatment discussion (p = 0.009) and treatment initiation (p = 0.01) compared to the controls. Overall, only 12.6% (n = 13) had treatment initiation during follow-up. PoC HCV screening with direct access referral had significantly higher linkage to HCV treatment initiation (adjusted odds ratio 9.13, p = 0.005) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION PoC HCV screening with direct access improves linkage to care and simplifies the HCV care cascade, leading to improved treatment uptake. PoC education, screening, diagnosis and treatment may be an effective strategy to achieving HCV micro-elimination in this population.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Halfway Houses ; Hepacivirus/genetics* ; Hepatitis C/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Point-of-Care Systems ; RNA ; Referral and Consultation ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVETo examine the prevalence changes of diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) from 2003 to 2010 in the health check-up subjects in Shanghai.

METHODSHealth check-up subjects were divided into ten groups by sex and each 5 years old, and the prevalence of crude DM, crude IFG were calculated first. According to Chinese sex and age structure of China Population Statistics Yearbook 2006, sex and age standardized DM and standardized IFG were computed.

RESULTSIn the same year, the prevalences of crude DM and IFG increased with increasing age for both male and female, reached the summit at 60 - 69 age group, when at ≥ 70 age group, they had a down trend and were still at higher level. The prevalences of crude DM were 3.99% (986/24 699) in male and 1.61% (176/10 948) in female in 2003, and were 7.85% (3366/42 899) and 2.55% (531/20 820) in 2010. The prevalences of crude IFG were 9.97% (2462/24 699) in male and 5.88% (644/10 948) in female in 2003, and were 30.96% (13 283/42 899) and 17.16% (3573/20 820) in 2010. The prevalences of age standardized DM in 2003 and 2010 were 3.89% and 6.90% for male (χ(2) = 371.89, P < 0.01), 2.12% and 3.23% for female (χ(2) = 29.32, P < 0.01), respectively. The prevalences of age standardized IFG in 2003 and 2010 were 9.51% and 28.55% (χ(2) = 3865.56, P < 0.01) for male, 6.97% and 17.88% (χ(2) = 790.81, P < 0.01) for female. The prevalences of age and sex standardized DM were 3.00% and 5.05% (χ(2) = 385.39, P < 0.01), and prevalences of age and sex standardized IFG were 8.23% and 23.17% (χ(2) = 4480.21, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONFrom 2003 to 2010, prevalences of DM and IFG had increased greatly. It concluded that first-level prevention of DM for health check-up subjects should start from youth, and should lay emphasis on population of IFG, especially for male.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Halfway Houses ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Prediabetic State ; epidemiology ; Prevalence