NCT06409169

DBS TaT in Peer-assisted Telemedicine for Hepatitis C

Dried Blood Spot Testing in Peer-assisted Telemedicine for Hepatitis C Treatment

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 141 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the rate of treatment initiation achieved by peer-assisted telemedicine contingent on phlebotomy (usual care) versus that achieved with a new protocol, called Dried Blood Spot Test and Treat (DBS TaT). DBS TaT includes DBS testing to diagnose hepatitis C (HCV), utilizes a novel clinical decision aid that identifies patients who are low risk for hepatic (liver) fibrosis, and directs those patients to HCV treatment initiation prior to routine hepatic fibrosis assessment. The investigators hypothesize that DBS TaT will increase the rate of HCV treatment initiation compared to peer-assisted telemedicine contingent on phlebotomy (usual care).

Detailed description

Oregon has the fourth highest prevalence of hepatitis C (HCV) and third highest HCV-related mortality in the nation and it predominantly effects people who use drugs (PWUD). To respond to this, Peer Assisted Telemedicine for Hepatitis C (PATHS), a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration supported telemedicine-based HCV treatment program that serve PWUD in predominantly rural areas of Oregon was created. PATHS partners with "peers," people with lived experience of substance use, who work for community-based organizations serving PWUD in high-needs rural counties. Patients are referred to PATHS from opiate treatment programs and community-based organizations throughout the state, which are PATHS' "sites." The leading barrier to HCV treatment initiation within PATHS is the requirement for participants to complete phlebotomy prior to treatment. To address this problem, PATHS is piloting the use of commercially available, laboratory-validated dried blood spot (DBS) tests to confirm active HCV, but patients who complete DBS must still undergo either phlebotomy or transient elastography (TEG) to complete guideline-recommended hepatic fibrosis staging before HCV treatment. Transient elastography is a validated, non-invasive, clinical standard of hepatic fibrosis assessment covered by Oregon Medicaid, but it is inconvenient to access in rural areas. This study aims to determine the impact of Dried Blood Spot Test and Treat (DBS TaT) compared to phlebotomy-contingent treatment (usual care) in a cluster randomized controlled trial performed within Peer Assisted Telemedicine for Hepatitis C (PATHS). The primary outcome is the rate of treatment initiation in PATHS sites utilizing DBS TaT versus PATHS sites utilizing usual care. 18 PATHS sites are randomized to DBS TaT implementation or ongoing usual care. Within DBS TaT, participants with low risk for hepatic fibrosis will be offered HCV treatment without phlebotomy but will still undergo imaging-based hepatic fibrosis assessment to ensure safety.

Conditions

• Hepatitis C

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	DBS TaT	Dried Blood Spot (DBS) testing for HCV DCHEQ and Baseline Surveys If at high risk for liver fibrosis, blood draw prior to treatment initiation If low risk for liver fibrosis, Telemedicine visit with PATHS provider HCV treatment initiation Transient elastography (TEG)
OTHER	Usual Care	Point-of-care or DBS testing for HCV Blood draw to test liver fibrosis DCHEQ and Baseline Surveys Telemedicine visit with PATHS provider HCV treatment initiation Transient elastography (TEG)

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-22
• Primary completion: 2025-12-01
• Completion: 2026-05-01
• First posted: 2024-05-10
• Last updated: 2025-03-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States