title: Healing livers, saving lives: Hepatitis C screening in an era of cure.
abstract: Chronic hepatitis C affects more than 3 million people in the United States. In the past, drug therapy with interferon and ribavirin resulted in low overall cure rates and early discontinuation due to adverse reactions. The new direct-acting antivirals offer not only a shorter duration of treatment with fewer adverse reactions, but greatly improved overall cure rates as high as 96%. Updated national screening recommendations (including a one-time screening for patients born between 1945 and 1965), combined with timely referral and treatment, offer a prime opportunity for healthcare providers to improve public health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
authors.affiliation: Courtney M. Boucher is a graduate of the primary care PA program at the University of Southern California (USC) in Alhambra, Calif. She practices emergency medicine in Temecula, Calif. Anne Walsh is an instructor of clinical family medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine and practices family medicine in Newport Beach, Calif. Christopher P. Forest is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine and director of research at USC's primary care PA program in the Keck School of Medicine and practices urgent care and family medicine in Los Angeles, Calif. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Courtney M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Forest
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons