"Quick, simple, and friendly": Understanding the acceptability and accessibility of a nurse and peer-led, mobile model of hepatitis C care adjacent to community corrections in Australia

IF 4.4 2区医学 Q1 SUBSTANCE ABUSE

International Journal of Drug Policy Pub Date : 2025-03-26 DOI:10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104785

Samara Griffin , Shelley Walker , Jacinta A Holmes , Bridget Reid , Amanda Callus , Mark Belzer , Jane Dicka , Timothy Papaluca , Anne Craigie , Sophia Schroeder , Kari Lancaster , Margaret Hellard , Mark Stoové , Alexander J. Thompson , Rebecca J Winter

{"title":"\"Quick, simple, and friendly\": Understanding the acceptability and accessibility of a nurse and peer-led, mobile model of hepatitis C care adjacent to community corrections in Australia","authors":"Samara Griffin , Shelley Walker , Jacinta A Holmes , Bridget Reid , Amanda Callus , Mark Belzer , Jane Dicka , Timothy Papaluca , Anne Craigie , Sophia Schroeder , Kari Lancaster , Margaret Hellard , Mark Stoové , Alexander J. Thompson , Rebecca J Winter","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104785","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>People on community corrections orders are at high-risk for hepatitis C but opportunities for hepatitis C care may be missed due to poor integration of prison-based healthcare. The C No More study is a pilot feasibility study of point-of-care hepatitis C testing and rapid treatment initiation delivered adjacent to community corrections settings in Melbourne, Australia, via a mobile, nurse and peer-led, low-threshold model of care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a mixed methods evaluation using Levesque's Conceptual Framework of Access to Health to understand participants’ experiences and perspectives on the accessibility of this model of care. Interviewer-administered surveys were conducted with all participants after enrolment and initial testing, and qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of those who completed the survey.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>500 participants completed the survey, and 20 participants undertook in-depth interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated that participants found the C No More service approachable and accessible due to the informal outreach setting, the involvement of peer workers, and the convenient location of service delivery. Participants reported feeling comfortable seeking care in the van and found the service appropriate and easy to engage with due to the fingerstick point-of-care testing and individualised support provided by the nurse.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Multiple elements of the C No More model increased client-perceived service accessibility, including being located close to government services, point-of-care testing, and the person-centred, peer-based and non-judgemental nurse-led care provided. This study supports the implementation of other peer and nurse-led models of hepatitis C care in similar settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 104785"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Drug Policy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925000842","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SUBSTANCE ABUSE","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

People on community corrections orders are at high-risk for hepatitis C but opportunities for hepatitis C care may be missed due to poor integration of prison-based healthcare. The C No More study is a pilot feasibility study of point-of-care hepatitis C testing and rapid treatment initiation delivered adjacent to community corrections settings in Melbourne, Australia, via a mobile, nurse and peer-led, low-threshold model of care.

Methods

We conducted a mixed methods evaluation using Levesque's Conceptual Framework of Access to Health to understand participants’ experiences and perspectives on the accessibility of this model of care. Interviewer-administered surveys were conducted with all participants after enrolment and initial testing, and qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of those who completed the survey.

Results

500 participants completed the survey, and 20 participants undertook in-depth interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated that participants found the C No More service approachable and accessible due to the informal outreach setting, the involvement of peer workers, and the convenient location of service delivery. Participants reported feeling comfortable seeking care in the van and found the service appropriate and easy to engage with due to the fingerstick point-of-care testing and individualised support provided by the nurse.

Conclusion

Multiple elements of the C No More model increased client-perceived service accessibility, including being located close to government services, point-of-care testing, and the person-centred, peer-based and non-judgemental nurse-led care provided. This study supports the implementation of other peer and nurse-led models of hepatitis C care in similar settings.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Drug Policy SUBSTANCE ABUSE-

CiteScore

7.80

自引率

11.40%

发文量

307

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Drug Policy provides a forum for the dissemination of current research, reviews, debate, and critical analysis on drug use and drug policy in a global context. It seeks to publish material on the social, political, legal, and health contexts of psychoactive substance use, both licit and illicit. The journal is particularly concerned to explore the effects of drug policy and practice on drug-using behaviour and its health and social consequences. It is the policy of the journal to represent a wide range of material on drug-related matters from around the world.