Provider Workforce Assessment in a Rural Hepatitis C Epidemic: Implications for Scale-up of Antiviral Therapy. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Westergaard, Ryan P.; Stockman, Lauren J.; Hyland, Heather A.; Guilfoyle, Sheila M.; Fangman, John J.; Vergeront, James M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of primary care & community health. Volume 6:Number 3(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 215
• Page End: 217
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: access to care -- efficiency -- medications -- primary care -- rural health; Primary health care -- Periodicals; Primary health care -- United States -- Periodicals; Community health services -- Periodicals; Community health services -- United States -- Periodicals; 362.12
• DOI: 10.1177/2150131914560229
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2150-1319

Abstract

New recommendations for birth cohort screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the development of new, highly effective antiviral medications are expected to increase the demand for HCV treatment. In the past, antiviral therapy for HCV was almost exclusively prescribed by specialists in the field of gastroenterology and infectious diseases, meaning that people living in rural areas that are underserved by specialists may have poor access to treatment. We investigated the number and geographic distribution of medical providers who actively prescribed direct acting antiviral drugs for hepatitis C in Wisconsin during 2012. Using public health surveillance data and a state-wide prescription drug database, we found that there was 1 treatment provider for every 340 residents known to be living with HCV. However, 51 of 72 Wisconsin counties had no providers who provided HCV treatment in 2012.Scaling up antiviral treatment to address the epidemic of hepatitis C efficiently and equitably will require strategies to increase the number of treatment providers in rural communities. Providing education, training, and support to the primary care workforce serving rural communities should be considered a potentially effective and efficient approach to preventing future HCV-related illness.