Hepatitis C screening practices among private practitioners: impact of an information campaign.
OBJECTIVE
A campaign designed to enhance screening for hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) by private practitioners was conducted in the Lyon area from April 2000 to March 2001. The target population for screening was composed of individuals with active/previous intravenous drug abuse habits or had received blood products before 1991 or who presented elevated serum transaminase levels. The objectives of the present study were to validate the campaign's organization and its impact on screening practices.


METHODS
The impact of the campaign was estimated from the number of prescribed and performed HCV screening and confirmation tests, the number of physicians who prescribed HCV screening tests, and the number of HCV screening tests prescribed by each physician. Indicators/practices observed during the 12-month campaign were compared with the same indicators/practices observed during the 12-month period preceding the campaign.


RESULTS
During the campaign, 15952 HCV serology tests were prescribed by 1798 of the 3052 physicians (58.9%) practising in the Lyon area. Among physicians who prescribed serology, 11.4% of the general practitioners and 10.9% of the specialists prescribed HCV serology tests for the first time during the campaign. Prescriptions for HCV serology increased significantly between the two calendar periods (+15.6%, epsilon = 17.7), similarly for general practitioners and specialists. The number of general practitioners who prescribed more than five serology tests per year increased 15.3% while the number of general practitioners who did not prescribe serology tests decreased 9.7% (P = 0.02). More HCV-positive patients were detected during the campaign (276 patients) than during the previous period (231 patients) [epsilon = 2.8].


CONCLUSIONS
When provided with pertinent information and training adapted to their medical practice, private practitioners become actively involved in screening for HCV infection.
Sahajian
Frédéric
F
ADHEC, Laboratoire d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Faculté de médecine Domaine Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon. sahajian@rockefeller.univ-lyon1.fr
Excler
Geneviève
G
Bailly
François
F
Caillat-Vallet
Emmanuelle
E
Trépo
Christian
C
Sepetjan
Maurice
M
Fabry
Jacques Y
JY
D005602:France; D006293:Health Promotion; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011331:Private Practice