What started as a collaborative project by UPMC Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program to study Hepatitis C treatment in primary care has become, at our three UPMC St. Margaret Family Health Centers, a multidisciplinary team effort led by our residents, pharmacists, and fellows to help our patients with chronic Hepatitis C. As our MAT program for patients with opioid use disorder expanded, we saw that providing on-site Hepatitis C treatment for many patients who suffered from both of these chronic diseases would improve access to antiviral treatment, decrease Hepatitis C transmission, and improve outcomes.
As our on-site Hepatitis C treatment program evolved over time to a team-based delivery model, we found excellent patient engagement in a challenging outpatient environment, and In the past three years, we have successfully “cured” more than 50 patients of this chronic disease, and our “success rate” is similar to that reported in the literature by hepatology specialists, more than 75%!
The decentralized “Multidisciplinary Hepatitis C Treatment Team” has also become a successful longitudinal community service project for many of our residents who played a vital role in expanding the scope of primary care. Through the efforts of our family medicine and pharmacy residents, we are improving the lives of so many patients and families suffering from Hepatitis C and OUD.
Click here to see our poster: Treatment of Chronic HCV in an Outpatient Primary Care Setting PDF