title: Integrating enhanced hepatitis C testing and counselling in research.
abstract: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects over 170 million people worldwide. In Australia, over 225,000 people have been diagnosed with HCV infection with 13,000 infections reported annually; 90% are attributed to injecting drug use. Burnet Institute (BI) researchers have been studying the HCV epidemic since the virus was identified in 1989 including community based cohort studies (1990-1995), numerous studies involving Vietnamese-Australian people who inject drugs (PWID) (1996-2004) and social network studies (2000-2002, 2005-2007). Through this work the BI has developed a model of research practice for HCV and PWID, developed in recognition that much research relating to BBV infections - and HCV in particular - could be improved in terms of provision of test results to study participants. Our model endeavours to provide all participants with the highest quality HCV test results, delivered in accordance with best practice for pre- and post-test counselling by engaging participants in environments in which they are comfortable, building trust and rapport and being available throughout and beyond the research study. This paper will discuss the benefits and lessons learned over numerous studies in providing pre- and post-test counselling to PWID in an outreach capacity.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Australia. rwinter@burnet.edu.au
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Oanh
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Duyen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.forename: My Li
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Thach
authors.forename: Campbell
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hellard
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D010379:Peer Group; D036301:Qualitative Research; D035844:Researcher-Subject Relations; D012309:Risk-Taking; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology