National HIV and HCV Screening Rates for Hospitalized People who Use Drugs Are Suboptimal and Heterogeneous Across 11 US Hospitals.
Leo Knudsen WestgardTaisuke SatoWilliam S BradfordEllen F EatonFinlay PilcherAndrew J HaleDevika SinghMarlene MartinAyesha A AppaJaimie P MeyerMelissa B WeimerLydia A BarakatUriel R FelsenMatthew J AkiyamaJessica P RidgwayEmily D GrussingKinna ThakararAmy WhiteJohn MutelayiMartin KršákBrian T MontagueAnk NijhawanHarini BalakrishnanLaura R MarksAlysse G WurcelPublished in: Open forum infectious diseases (2024)
Hospitals had average screening rates of 40% for HIV and 32% for HCV, with widespread heterogeneity in screening rates across facilities. State consent laws and opt-out testing policies were not associated with statistically significant differences in HIV screening rates. On average, hospitals that reflexed HCV viral load testing on HCV antibody testing did not have statistically significant differences in HCV viral load testing rates. We found suboptimal testing rates during inpatient encounters for PWUD. As treatment (HIV) and cure (HCV) are necessary to end these epidemics, we need to prioritize understanding and overcoming barriers to testing.