STOP HCC: Mailed HCV Treatment Outreach Program for HCC Prevention
Hepatitis C, HepatoCellular Carcinoma
About this trial
This is an interventional screening trial for Hepatitis C
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- born between 1945 and 1965
- ≥ 1 outpatient visit during 12 months prior to randomization at Parkland
- no prior HCV screening (prior HCV antibody, viral load, or genotype).
- any active medical coverage
- speaks Spanish or English
Exclusion Criteria:
- a life expectancy less than one year including end stage CHF, end stage COPD, metastatic cancer, and those who received a palliative care or hospice referral in the past year
- history of HCC.
- non-English or Spanish speakers
- no address or phone number on file
Sites / Locations
- Parkland Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
No Intervention
Active Comparator
Usual Care
Mailed outreach
Patients randomized to Group 1 will receive visit-based HCV screening, as offered by clinic providers as part of usual care. Providers must identify at-risk patients who are eligible for HCV screening, understand the benefits of screening in this population, and enter orders for HCV Ab testing. If the HCV antibody is abnormal, providers must order appropriate follow-up tests including HCV viral load to confirm HCV infection. Once HCV is confirmed, providers must refer the patients for fibrosis assessment and treatment evaluation. These efforts are augmented by an established best practice alert and health maintenance reminders.
Patients randomized to Group 2 will receive low literacy, written materials about HCV screening among baby-boomers in English and Spanish. The invitation will include patient-centered educational materials that discuss the risk of HCV in baby boomers and the benefits and risks of HCV screening. The invitation will include a phone number to schedule the HCV antibody blood test. Written materials will be developed and validated in Spanish using the Spanish Language Translation Resource. Once a potential subject is identified and randomized in Group 2, an outreach invitation will be mailed out. Shortly after the letter, a bilingual patient navigator will place a follow-up call to this potential subject. These follow-up calls will occur in the 2nd - 4th week after mailing invitations; up to three attempts in total will be made to reach the patient to facilitate HCC screening completion.