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Open Access 16-05-2024 | Hepatitis C | Original Article

APPEAL: a toolkit for attracting people who inject drugs with hepatitis C to healthcare systems

Authors: Ricardo Baptista-Leite, Henrique Lopes, Diogo Franco, Timo Clemens, Helmut Brand

Abstract

Aim

The “APPEAL” toolkit was developed to address the challenges in diagnosing people who inject drugs (PWID) with hepatitis C (HCV) and engaging them with healthcare systems. It introduces an ecosystemic approach based on health and well-being literacy across awareness, prevention and diagnosis dimensions of the hepatitis C’s care cascade (CC) for PWID.

Subject and methods

The framework incorporated a scoping review and thematic analysis of 54 studies, alongside contributions from 57 hepatitis C key opinion leaders across seven countries. The toolkit is structured around five main axes: problems, solutions, outputs, outcomes and feedback process, employing a holistic perspective that considers economic, legal and social contexts. Eighteen policy prescriptions (PP) are proposed and supported by selective references to ensure relevance and applicability.

Results

The APPEAL toolkit facilitates a strategic workflow for policymakers, health authorities and patient advocacy organizations, guiding them through action flowcharts to evaluate and enhance their interventions within the hepatitis C’s CC for PWID. Notably, its implementation demonstrated potential in identifying and attracting PWID to hepatitis C treatment pathways, contributing to increased diagnostics, education on risk behaviours and raising overall disease awareness. The toolkit’s intelligent cycle system supports accountability, enabling continuous data-driven improvement and innovation in addressing hepatitis C.

Conclusion

The APPEAL toolkit was developed to attract PWID living with HCV to healthcare systems in a proactive manner. By managing information and fostering education on HCV, it aims to amplify awareness, prevention and diagnosis. The toolkit’s design and functionality underscore the importance of continuous quality improvement and the potential for its use in internal or external quality audits of healthcare services related to hepatitis C.

In this article, the PWID abbreviation refers to people with current or “active” injection drug use (IDU), which is generally defined as use in the past 6 months, and to former PWID who have active non–IDU.

In this article, interventions refer to actions aiming to approach individuals, particularly in community or healthcare settings, to raise awareness about a disease with the ultimate goal of improving one’s global health status.

APPEAL—retAin Pwid hePatitis hEALthcare.

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Title: APPEAL: a toolkit for attracting people who inject drugs with hepatitis C to healthcare systems
Authors: Ricardo Baptista-Leite
Henrique Lopes
Diogo Franco
Timo Clemens
Helmut Brand
Publication date: 16-05-2024
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Hepatitis C
Public Health
Published in: Journal of Public Health
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-024-02276-1

2024 ESC Congress

Springer Medicine

APPEAL: a toolkit for attracting people who inject drugs with hepatitis C to healthcare systems

Abstract

Aim

Subject and methods

Results

Conclusion

2024 ESC Congress

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Aim

Subject and methods

Results

Conclusion

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