Theme: Epidemiology & Public Health Research Year: 2024
Background: To meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) elimination target for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) a team of laboratory trained professionals use laboratory knowledge and principles to implement HCV point of care testing (POCT) into high-risk environments across Wales. Working within a multidisciplinary team, high intensity POCT testing programs have been organised to get hard-to-engage individuals tested and treated. A 6-month snapshot includes high intensity screening sessions across a range of settings and routine testing in prisons.
Methods: Using a two-tiered testing pathway, POCT swabs are used to give a rapid HCV Antibody result after 20-40mins. Any “reactive” results are followed up with a finger-prick PCR POCT to giving us a quantitative and qualitative result after 1 hour. Patients are then referred to the local BBV team for treatment. Alongside our POCT pathway we will also perform Dried Blood Spot Testing to screen for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and HIV – in keeping with the World Health Organization’s target to eliminate viral hepatitis and HIV by 2030.
Results: In this 6-month span, over 3,600 people were tested for BBVs. Just under 1,600 of those were during a 7-day mass-screening prison project (95% of the prison population), roughly 1,800 were tested as part of routine prison screening and 214 in various community settings.
Conclusion: POCT is a highly effective method of testing; rapid HCV infection identification allows us to action results to prevent further liver damage to individual as well as those who they could potentially pass on the virus to. POCT lead by a biomedical scientist is a brilliant initiative as we can improve patient care by acting as a liaison between the laboratory and the patient.
Download abstract Download poster