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Needs Assessment of HCV-Infected Individuals Experiencing Homelessness and Implications

The advent of tolerable, efficacious therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) creates an opportunity to provide HCV treatment for individuals experiencing homelessness. A federally-qualified community health center serving individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston conducted an anonymous needs assessment survey of a sample of HCV-infected patients in order to inform development of an HCV treatment program (N = 240). Primary care providers (PCPs) were identified as the chief source of HCV education. Main motivators to consider HCV treatment were identified as “taking care of your health” (73.5%) and “your provider says you should get treated” (53.6%). Interest and confidence to complete HCV treatment were high. The majority of respondents (51.4%) preferred to receive HCV treatment in the primary care setting. Preference for PCP-based treatment was significant compared to liver specialty-based treatment (30.8%, p < .0001). This is the first assessment of its kind describing the preferences of homeless individuals concerning hepatitis C treatment.