EC Victoria, in partnership with Harm Reduction Victoria, will commence a peer research project in mid-2021.
This project will trial and compare three different peer-led support and service navigation interventions that aim to build trust and increase engagement with primary health and harm reduction services and increase hepatitis C testing and treatment among people who inject drugs. The program aims to assess:
How peers embedded in a health services can help support more people who inject drugs to get tested and complete DAA treatment
How roving peers in a local area of a health service can help engage new clients and refer them into a health service for hepatitis C testing & care
How peers can be supported to provide rapid point of care testing and money incentives to help people who inject drugs progress through the care cascade.
For more information contact Dan, [email protected]
The EC Experience cohort is collecting data on the experiences of people who inject drugs, with a focus on experiences at primary health care services. The study will recruit from at least eight EC sites. EC Experience will target recruitment to people who have not been tested for hep C recently or have been diagnosed with hep C and not treated. Participants will be followed for 12 months to explore changing experiences over time.
This work will provide evidence for future EC activities that aim to overcome barriers to hepatitis C testing and treatment. EC Experience has completed recruitment at the first EC Experience site.
For more information contact Dan, [email protected]
Simplifying hepatitis C testing pathways may lead to earlier complete diagnosis and treatment. The QuickStart trial will explore the impacts of using rapid POC hepatitis C (antibody and RNA) tests and a same-day test and treat model on treatment initiation and cure.
Former and current people who inject drugs will be recruited from Australian primary health clinics in metropolitan and regional settings.
The study is expected to commence in 2021.
For more information contact Imogen, [email protected]