Building a Low-Threshold Model for HCV Diagnosis and Treatment Among Formerly Incarcerated Patients in Alabama.
Hayden, Margaret; Kishore, Sanjay; Bradford, Davis; Dedona, Mikaela; Hunter, Meghan; Luck, Mary Ellen; Pratt, Ryan
Why this matters
People leaving jail with hepatitis C fall out of care at the exact moment treatment becomes possible. An Alabama free clinic with a mobile unit screened 369 people over two years, found 28.1 percent antibody positive, started 54 on treatment, and reported a 94 percent cure rate among those who completed it.
Abstract
We developed a low-threshold HCV treatment program at a free clinic with mobile unit providing transitional care to people leaving jails and prisons across Alabama. Formerly incarcerated persons, many uninsured and in rural areas, were served. From January 2023 to December 2024, 369 patients were screened for HCV; 104 (28.1%) were HCV antibody positive, 54 started treatment, with 19 achieving cure (94% cure rate). Median time from diagnosis to treatment initiation was 27 days.