27 October 2006
GPs need improved guidance and
access to screening for Hepatitis C if they are to play an
effective role in combating the spread of the infection, according
to a study in this month’s British Journal of General Practice
(BJGP).
Researchers from University College
Dublin worked with 25 GP practices in Ireland over a six month
period to implement clinical guidelines – including screening
programmes - for patients who were either current or former
injecting drug users, since the blood borne infection is most
easily spread through needle sharing.
The study - funded by the Health
Research Board of Ireland – found that the practices using the
structured guidance screened significantly more patients for
Hepatitis C, meaning that doctors and patients could make informed
choices about future care and treatment.
Dr Walter Cullen, GP-lead
researcher and lecturer at University College Dublin (UCD), said:
“This is clearly an important issue that requires a strategic
response on the part of health services worldwide. Screening people
at risk of infection is an important step in identifying those who
may benefit from widely available treatments. It also allows people
to make informed decisions regarding the need for treatment and
other interventions that may reduce their risk of developing
chronic liver disease.
“Our study demonstrates the
importance of structured clinical guidance - including
education and support of a Hepatitis C liaison nurse - and
highlights the crucial role that primary care can play in
addressing this important issue.”
Dr Carola Sander-Hess of the Royal
College of General Practitioners’ Sex, Drugs and HIV Task Group
said: “We welcome this study as it encourages a broader discussion
about care pathways centred on General Practice in order to achieve
more proactive testing and treatment for current and past drug
users infected with Hepatitis C.”
Ends
Press contact: Heather Whitney,
RCGP Press Office 020 7344 3137 hwhitney@rcgp.org.uk
Notes to Editors
• Cullen W, Stanley J, Langton
D, Kelly Y, Bury G, Staines A, Hepatitis C infection among
injecting drug users in general practice: a cluster randomised
controlled trial of clinical guidelines’ implementation. Br J
Gen Pract 2006; 56: 848-856.
• Hepatitis C is a blood-borne
infection. Unlike Hepatitis A and B there is no vaccine to immunise
the population but the infection can be naturally expelled by the
immune system in around one fifth of cases. The remaining
cases require treatment for the ‘acute’ phase and some will go on
to develop the ‘chronic’ phase of the infection which can cause
cirrhosis of the liver and put them at a higher risk of developing
cancer of the liver. For further information on Hepatitis C visit
the
NHS Prodigy website
• Current guidance on drug
treatments for Hep C can be viewed on the NICE website
• The Government’s strategy to
combat Hepatitis C can be viewed on the
Department of Health website
• The BJGP is published
monthly and distributed to over 25,000 RCGP members, associates and
subscribers in more than 40 countries worldwide. Its primary
purpose is to publish first-rate, peer reviewed research papers on
topics relevant to primary care.
• The Royal College of General
Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United
Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the
highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the
“voice” of GPs on issues concerned with education, training,
research and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over
25,000 members who are committed to improving patient care,
developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a
discipline. www.rcgp.org.uk