Hepatitis Forums

Hepatitis C Main Forums => On Hepatitis C Treatment => Topic started by: natalie23 on June 06, 2011, 05:00:25 pm

Title: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: natalie23 on June 06, 2011, 05:00:25 pm
I saw this new study online at 7th Space Interactive.

Quote
The vast majority of patients supported universal screening for HCV. When presented with three options for screening, 48% preferred universal testing without being informed that they were being tested or provided with negative results, 37% preferred testing with the chance to "opt-out"of being tested and without being provided with negative results, and 15% preferred testing based on clinician judgment. -- http://is.gd/zxhQOt

Why would anyone agree to being screened without being informed? This feels way to Big Brother to me.
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: charlieoboy on June 07, 2011, 07:28:25 am
I wouldn't mind. My doctor checks a long list of things every time I get a physical. Why shouldn't this be one more on that list?
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: farmgirl on June 07, 2011, 01:28:24 pm
Are you frickin kidding me? I want to know everything they are testing me for. I make the nurse take the time to go through the list. I don't want them ringing up a big bill for crap I don't need.

I think it's a good idea to talk to people about Hep C risks. Especially after I read some of the other posts about risks I didn't know about like the manicure thing (http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=945.0).
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: charlieoboy on June 09, 2011, 07:31:53 am
Calm down there farmgirl. Do you know how many different things they check when you go for a physical? It just isn't realistic that you would bother go through the list. You're lucky if you get 5 minutes with your doctor and I'm not going to use them talking about a whole bunch of tests that are likely irrelevant to me but he/she is checking just in case.
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: Ann on June 23, 2011, 09:03:03 am
I certainly support more wide-spread hep C testing. It should at the very least be offered on an opt-out basis for anyone getting any blood work done, such as at regular, routine check-ups or when looking for other problems. I feel the same way about hiv testing.

Far too many people have no idea they have hcv. It can be a very "silent" disease where the person has no idea anything is wrong until a lot of damage has been done to the liver. Many of the early symptoms - such as fatigue, depression or brain-fog - can be attributed to many other things and hcv is all too often over-looked. Many people with hep C have normal liver enzyme levels, so red-flags aren't raised where the liver is concerned and again, hcv is overlooked.

By the way, there are far more people both in the US and world-wide living with hcv than there are people living with hiv, but yet hcv gets even less media - and medical - attention than hiv. Yet another way that hcv can be a "silent" disease and a "silent" killer.
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: koreanvet on June 23, 2011, 05:35:50 pm
My son was just telling me today that I should get tested because of the shots I got before heading off to Korea. I still remember walking down the line and getting shot after shot. I had no idea what most of them were for but they certainly weren't cleaning the needles each time.

I just had my annual physical and my doctor didn't bring up Hepatitis at all. Now I'm going to call and ask if it was part of my tests and if it wasn't to get it added ASAP!

I'd hate to survive prostate and skin cancer just to get liver cancer from something that could have been treated.
Title: Re: Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection?
Post by: Ann on June 28, 2011, 02:35:00 pm
My son was just telling me today that I should get tested because of the shots I got before heading off to Korea. I still remember walking down the line and getting shot after shot. I had no idea what most of them were for but they certainly weren't cleaning the needles each time.

I just had my annual physical and my doctor didn't bring up Hepatitis at all. Now I'm going to call and ask if it was part of my tests and if it wasn't to get it added ASAP!

I'd hate to survive prostate and skin cancer just to get liver cancer from something that could have been treated.

Sorry, I meant to respond to this the other day.

I think you should get tested too. There are many Vets from the Korean and Vietnam era who are living with hep C and one suspicion is that the source of their infections are those assembly-line-style vaccinations and immunizations that were given out at the time.

Google veterans hepatitis C and you'll get plenty of hits. Here's one to get you started...

http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/


Good luck with the tests.