Improving rates of Hepatitis C screening and treatment in our veteran population through mailed reminder letters Nicole Little, Carla Veronese, James Callaway Birmingham VA Medical Center - Birmingham, AL
Background/Purpose: Hepatitis C is the most common blood borne virus in the United States and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies have shown that it is cost effective to screen this population in a primary care setting. With the arrival of new medications to treat and potentially cure Hepatitis C, there is more reason than ever to screen our veterans that have yet to be tested. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to increase screening rates of patients for Hepatitis C by sending mailed letters to patients identified within the birth cohort (1945 to 1965). _x000D_
Methodology: This study is a quality improvement design. We propose to mail letters to patients within the birth cohort from the Birmingham VAMC system who have not been previously screened for Hepatitis C and are unassigned to primary care. We will identify eligible patients using the national VAMC Hepatitis C dashboard. Patients can voluntarily accept or decline and contact the Hepatitis C clinic team to enter the lab order. Following the established protocol, patients will be notified of a negative result, or if lab results are found to be positive, the GI clinic would be consulted for possible treatment, if the patient is in agreement. The rates of screening following the mailing of the letter will be monitored and we will review the effectiveness of this tool over a period of 1-3 months.
Presentation Objective: To evaluate a tool to improve screening rates of Hepatitis C in our veteran population.
Self-Assessment: What barriers exist to screening and treatment of Hepatitis C in patients at the Birmingham VAMC?
