Provision of hepatitis C education in a nationwide sample of drug treatment programs.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has reached epidemic proportions among drug users, and drug programs are in a unique position to provide each of their patients with HCV education. Using a nationwide sample (N = 434) of drug treatment programs, we report the results of a logistic regression analysis that differentiates programs providing HCV education to all of their patients versus programs that do not. Fifty-four percent of the programs provide HCV education to all of their patients. Programs are about four and a half times as likely to provide HCV education to all patients if they dispense methadone; almost four times as likely to provide this service if they educate most of their staff about HCV; twice as likely if they are residential; and almost twice as likely if they conduct HIV testing on-site. Our findings indicate that there is a need to increase HCV educational services in drug treatment programs.
Astone
Janetta
J
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY 10010, USA. astone@ndri.org
Strauss
Shiela M
SM
Vassilev
Zdravko P
ZP
Des Jarlais
Don C
DC
D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006302:Health Services Research; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States