title: Patient Characteristics Associated with HCV Treatment Adherence, Treatment Completion, and Sustained Virologic Response in HIV Coinfected Patients.
abstract: Background. Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment efficacy among HIV patients is limited by poor treatment adherence and tolerance, but few studies have examined the psychosocial determinants of treatment adherence and outcomes. Methods. Chart abstracted and survey data were collected on 72 HIV patients who had received pegylated interferon and ribavirin to assess correlates of treatment adherence, completion, and sustained virologic response (SVR). Results. Nearly half (46%) the sample had active psychiatric problems and 13% had illicit drug use at treatment onset; 28% reported <100% treatment adherence, 38% did not complete treatment (mostly due to virologic nonresponse), and intent to treat SVR rate was 49%. Having a psychiatric diagnosis was associated with nonadherence, while better HCV adherence was associated with both treatment completion and SVR. Conclusions. Good mental health may be an indicator of HCV treatment adherence readiness, which is in turn associated with treatment completion and response, but further research is needed with new HCV treatments emerging.
authors: Health Unit, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA.
authors: Glenn
authors: G
authors: Wagner
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Chan Osilla
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Garnett
authors: Bonnie
authors: B
authors: Ghosh-Dastidar
authors: Laveeza
authors: L
authors: Bhatti
authors: Matthew Bidwell
authors: MB
authors: Goetz
authors: Mallory
authors: M
authors: Witt