A report from Workit Health, published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, supports telehealth for opioid use disorder as an avenue to reach people at high risk of hepatitis C and treat those infected.
Hepatitis C leads to over 15,000 deaths in the United States each year, despite the availability and efficacy of oral antiviral medications for the virus. In a brief report in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, Workit Labs, the research and development arm of Workit Health, analyzes their treatment of hepatitis C as part of telemedicine-based addiction care.
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Recognizing the high prevalence of hepatitis C among individuals with opioid use disorder, Workit Health began incorporating hepatitis C treatment into its telemedicine-based addiction programs in 2021. The team saw a unique opportunity to leverage virtual care to reach and treat a population that is often underserved and difficult to engage through traditional healthcare channels.
This study provides exciting evidence that telemedicine programs for addiction are a feasible platform for expanding hepatitis C treatment to patients in need.
For this report, Workit Labs conducted a chart review of members who were prescribed direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C by their addiction providers. Among 63 patients who were prescribed treatment, 33 completed treatment. The 17 patients who completed post-treatment viral load testing all achieved viral clearance. In layman’s terms, all of the patients who completed post-treatment laboratory tests were cured.
This study provides exciting evidence that telemedicine programs for addiction are a feasible platform for expanding hepatitis C treatment to patients in need.
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“Our study is unique in that it assessed real-world outcomes,” says Marlene Lira, Senior Director of Research and lead author. “It’s encouraging that these highly effective treatments can be delivered through low-barrier, telemedicine settings.”
Insurance coverage proved to be a significant barrier to delivering hepatitis C treatment for patients with opioid use disorder. Of those patients who were prescribed hepatitis C treatment, nearly 20% were denied prior authorization by their insurance.
Workit Labs hopes this report will inspire other addiction care providers to integrate hepatitis C treatment into low-barrier care models and encourage policymakers to expand access. “At the policy level,” Lira adds, “29 states have eliminated prior authorization requirements for hepatitis C treatment, but more progress is needed. Broader treatment coverage would significantly improve access and availability for patients.”
Workit Health is proud to be an innovator in offering hepatitis C treatment to their patients with opioid use disorder, and to share this clear evidence that this mode of treatment delivery works.
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Source – PR Web