CATIE Blog | Page 16 | HIV and hepatitis C news and opinions

Understanding prescribing trends for hepatitis C treatment in Ontario

February 24, 2021 • By Mary Guyton, RN, Jennifer Broad and Kate Mason

The introduction and wide availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) as a treatment for hepatitis C through a phased rollout from 2015 to 2018 held the promise of expanded access to treatment. These simpler treatments carried fewer clinical restrictions and required less specialist support, opening the possibility for primary care providers to treat their patients with hepatitis C. Given barriers to healthcare access for people who use drugs, those of us at the Toronto Community Hep C Program were curious to find out if this had in fact happened.

COVID-19, curfews and the overdose crisis: A Quebec perspective

February 17, 2021 • By Frankie Lambert and Chantal Montmorency

To better understand the issues and priorities of people who use drugs in Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic and the overdose crisis, CATIE conducted a short interview with Frankie Lambert and Chantal Montmorency, two staff members of the Quebec association to promote the health of people who use drugs (AQPSUD). Here are the concerns raised by their community.

Embracing next practices: Innovation during times of uncertainty

February 17, 2021 • By Shannon Elliot and Melisa Dickie

The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has disrupted the way we live and work. As evidence has continued to grow and evolve over the past 11 months, we have witnessed how quickly key messages and measures to reduce the transmission of the virus causing COVID-19 have changed. We have also seen how health and community services have adapted in the face of new challenges and many unknowns. This work to adapt in the face of so much disruption and uncertainty is challenging and a muscle that we are collectively using.

Indigenous responses to COVID-19 and hepatitis: A conference report back

January 28, 2021 • By Dr. Alexandra King and Sarah MacDonald

Viral hepatitis impacts Indigenous peoples around the world at much higher than average rates, harming their physical, spiritual, emotional, social and economic health. This is the result of historic and ongoing colonialism, and includes significantly worse health determinants, inadequate access to immunization and treatment, and inadequacies in the provision of culturally safe and responsive healthcare to Indigenous people. COVID-19 has further impacted Indigenous peoples, but many communities and healthcare practitioners are finding innovative ways of responding to the pandemic, while simultaneously trying to continue providing hepatitis care. Many of these responses were shared in a virtual mini-conference hosted by the...

Making OraQuick quicker: The VIRCAN 5-Minute Rule

January 20, 2021 • By David Smookler and Aaron Vanderhoff

Point-of-care (POC) tests for hepatitis C expand testing beyond clinical settings where a blood draw is not readily available. They are an important tool in the effort to eliminate hepatitis C as an endemic disease by 2030. The only Health Canada-approved POC test is the OraQuick hepatitis C antibody test, which requires a 20-minute wait before the results can be read.

What do online users want from HIV/STI risk calculators?

January 11, 2021 • By Oralia Gómez-Ramírez and Hsiu-Ju Chang

Risk calculators for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) use answers to a set of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity, geographic location), health status, or behavioural questions to estimate a person’s risk for developing or acquiring HIV and STIs. They can also indicate the most appropriate action for users to take.