The National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program - Minimal Dataset

NCT ID: NCT05248555

Last Updated: 2024-06-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

40000 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-12-01

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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The National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program will establish an observational cohort to evaluate whether scale-up of finger-stick point-of-care HCV testing increases diagnosis and treatment for HCV infection. Participants will be recruited from settings providing services to people with a risk factor for the acquisition of HCV infection (including drug treatment clinics, needle and syringe programs, homelessness settings, mental health services, prisons, and mobile outreach). All participants who undergo HCV point-of-care testing at the study site will be included in the data collection. Participants will not receive treatment as a part of this study. Participants who are HCV RNA positive will be linked to standard of care.

Detailed Description

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The advent of simple direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C (HCV) therapies with cure rates \>95% is one of the greatest medical advances in decades, having led to a reversal in liver-related mortality. In Australia, treatment uptake has declined between 2016 (32,000 treated) and 2019/20 (2019: 11,500; 2020: 8,500).1 Progress towards HCV elimination has been impeded by COVID-19, affecting the delivery of national and state-based HCV strategies. Improving HCV treatment uptake to reduce disease burden is a key aim of global, national and state-based HCV strategies.2-4

Scale-up of HCV testing and treatment will be required to achieve elimination by 2030. Current diagnostic pathways require multiple visits to a practitioner reducing the proportion who receive a diagnosis. In Australia, 81% of people have had HCV antibody testing (indicates exposure), but only 47% have been HCV RNA tested (indicates active infection and the need for HCV treatment).5 Mathematical modelling suggests that HCV RNA testing needs to increase by at least 50% annually to achieve elimination in Australia by 2030.6

The Kirby Institute is an international leader in research evaluating the Xpert HCV assay (Grebely Lancet Gastro Hep 2017), having built a large network of Xpert platforms for HCV testing in needle and syringe programs, prisons, drug treatment clinics, tertiary hospitals, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. In Kirby-led research, point-of-care HCV testing interventions in needle and syringe programs and prisons have resulted in high HCV treatment uptake (70-90%). The Kirby Institute and Flinders University also have a strong track record of implementing point-of-care testing for STIs and COVID-19, providing an ideal foundation to scale-up Xpert HCV testing in Australia.

The Kirby Institute and Flinders University will establish the Australian National HCV Point-of-care Testing Program for the scale-up of point-of-care HCV RNA testing in services with high prevalence of HCV infection, including community health centres, drug treatment clinics, needle and syringe programs, and prisons. This program will include the development of standard operating procedures, logistics/deployment, initial set-up, an operator training program, and quality assurance and competency assessment program.

An observational cohort study will be established to evaluate HCV treatment uptake following scale-up of point-of-care HCV testing among people with a risk factor for acquisition of HCV infection or people attending a service caring for people with risk factors for the acquisition of HCV infection.

Participants will be recruited from settings that provide services to people with a risk factor for the acquisition of HCV infection. All participants who undergo point-of-care HCV testing at the study site will be included in the data collection. Participants will not receive treatment as a part of this study. Participants who are HCV RNA positive will be linked to standard of care for any other clinical assessments and treatment initiation.

Conditions

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Hepatitis C

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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People at risk of HCV acquisition

Clinic staff will offer HCV point-of-care testing to participants as they access services. Testing will be performed using point-of-care HCV RNA testing.

Point-of-Care Testing

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Participants will be offered finger-stick point-of-care testing for HCV

Interventions

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Point-of-Care Testing

Participants will be offered finger-stick point-of-care testing for HCV

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* ≥ 18 years of age.
* Received point-of-care HCV testing.

Exclusion Criteria

* Nil
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Flinders University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Kirby Institute

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Lotus Glen Correctional Centre

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Hepatitis Queensland

Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

West Moreton Hospital and Health Service

Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Townsville Correctional Centre

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

Woodford Correctional Centre

Woodford, Queensland, Australia

Site Status RECRUITING

South Australian Prison Health Service

Marden, South Australia, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Mount Gambier Priosn

Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

St Vincent's Correctional Health Services

Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Medically Supervised Injecting Room

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Geo Healthcare - The Geo Group Australia Pty Ltd

Ravenhall, Victoria, Australia

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

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Australia

Central Contacts

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David Silk, BSc

Role: CONTACT

+61293850900

Simon Comben, BSc, MN

Role: CONTACT

+6193480777

Facility Contacts

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Tracey Brown

Role: primary

Darren Russell

Role: primary

Rachael Bryett

Role: primary

Blake Ponting

Role: primary

John Morey

Role: primary

Rajendra Prakash

Role: primary

Tom Turnbull

Role: primary

William Galloway

Role: primary

Alex Thompson

Role: primary

Nathan Stam

Role: primary

David Grace

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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VHCRP2104

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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