Management of hepatitis C disease among VA patients with schizophrenia and substance use disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Rates of hepatitis C (HCV) infection, testing, and treatment were compared among patients with schizophrenia, a substance use disorder, or co-occurring schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and a substance use disorder and a control group.


METHODS
Information about 293,445 patients of the Northwest Veterans Healthcare Administration was obtained.


RESULTS
The substance use disorder group constituted 13.6 percent of the sample; the schizophrenia group, 1.6 percent; and the co-occurring-disorders group, 1.4 percent. Respectively, these groups were approximately four, two, and six times as likely as the control group to receive HCV testing and about seven, two, and eight times as likely to be infected. The rate of interferon (IFN) therapy was significantly lower for the substance use group and the group with co-occurring disorders. However, the magnitude of the differences was not substantial, suggesting that these high-risk groups were not excluded from IFN therapy.
Huckans
Marilyn S
MS
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Department of Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University 97239, USA. marilyn.huckans@med.va.gov
Blackwell
Aaron D
AD
Harms
Todd A
TA
Hauser
Peter
P
D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009922:Oregon; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans
D007372:Interferons