Hepatitis C

Most patients are well-meaning and generally nice. But every now and then, you will get one who is a total pain to deal with. Maybe your patient lies to you, gets sarcastic, asks for special “favors,†or generally just pushes your buttons. We’ve all been there.

It is frustrating, to say the least, when your patients take their frustrations out on you. And, as if having to deal with an angry patient isn’t bad enough, providers now have to worry about the threat of legal action more than ever before.

Hepatitis C affects a disproportionate number of American Indian and Alaskan Native people, more than any other racial or ethnic group in the country, and treatment efforts are being hampered by limited government funding, according to a recent journal article.

Whether delivered intentionally or not, some physician comments are unhelpful at best and low-blows at worst. Saying certain things to patients can actually increase your risk of having a malpractice suit filed against you, making it especially important for you to always be mindful when speaking with patients.

A new test created by researchers at the University of California has cut the number of hepatitis C (HCV) diagnosis testing steps in half – meaning going from two steps to one.

The rate of transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among HIV-positive men who have sex with men could be substantially reduced by the scaled up use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments along with behavioral interventions.

A committee of the European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of two new combination drugs to treat chronic hepatitis C infection, the agency announced.

An alternative treatment for healing injuries is believed to have spread hepatitis C infection among patients in California, the CDC reports.

Treatment with fixed-dos combination sofosbuvir/velpatasvir yielded significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes.

A study that explored the healthcare burden of chronic infection of the hepatitis C virus found that patients with the disease were more than 3 times likely to be hospitalized than patients in a comparison group.

As medications for hepatitis C become more widely used, studies are being done to see how effective these treatments are when used in combination.

Researchers reported that SVR12 rates in real-world, post-transplant genotype 1 HCV patients treated with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, is 98% across regimens and various characteristics.

Researchers report promising results from the QUARTZ-I study that assessed the efficacy of the 3D regimen combined with sofosbuvir in treatment-experienced patients with HCV genotype 1 infection.

Results from the ION-3 trial showed that the rapidity and durability of viral suppression achieved with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir therapy allows a shorter treatment course of 8 weeks in genotype 1, treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic patients.

A recent study looked to shed light on the long-researched belief that caffeine decreases the risk of advanced hepatic fibrosis in people with hepatitis C.

With May officially Hepatitis Awareness Month, there is an active campaign underway designed to encourage people to get tested for hepatitis C. May 19 has been designated National Hepatitis Testing Day in the US for the fifth year running.

Excessive alcohol consumption not only increases the risk of liver disease in people with hepatitis C, but it also increases the risk of death.

When a patient is dying, it can be difficult to know what to say to them. Here are a few tips and approaches that I have gathered from experts that I hope will help you get through those hard conversations while continuing to provide the best possible care to your patient.

Being a good doctor is hard work, especially considering the current state of our health care system. Some doctors, however, are simply bad news. And because most doctors today have comparable education and credentials, bad doctors don’t exactly stick out like sore thumbs.

Researchers in Italy found that some patients who are successfully treated for the hepatitis C virus tend to live as long as others in the general population not infected with the disease.

Researchers assessed the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma among patients who have been cured of the hepatitis C virus.

Researchers applied a new technique to investigate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome, and gained insights into the extreme mutability of the virus.

Under the threat of lawsuits, seven major commercial insurers doing business in New York will now cover direct acting antivirals for patients with HCV infection, as will NY's Medicaid program. The plans will also stop denying coverage to patients who abuse drugs or alcohol.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a supplemental New Drug Application submitted by drug maker AbbVie for Viekira Pak without ribavirin to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b and compensated cirrhosis.

Why didn't dozens of young patients diagnosed with hepatitis C get treatment in Princeton, NJ? New CDC study offers reasons.

Patients with hepatitis C were two to five times more likely to develop some types of head and neck cancers, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

An Australian physician is sending generic DAAs made in China and India to patients with hepatitis in the US. It's part of an NIH-approved clinical trial.

Layoffs are tough. But, the economic downturn, lower insurance reimbursements, increased business expenses and the expectation that medical practices “do more with less†may make layoffs unavoidable.

A team from Germany found patients with acute HCV infection could be cured in six weeks with DAA treatment, half the recommended time.

Nurse practitioners with three hours training were better than specialists or primary care providers at getting HCV patients to complete their DAA regimens, Washington, DC area researchers found.