National Prisons Hepatitis Education Project: Research Evaluation
- Conditions
- HCV
- Interventions
- Other: Education Intervention (The HepPEd Program)
- Registration Number
- NCT05942937
- Lead Sponsor
- Kirby Institute
- Brief Summary
The National Prisons Hepatitis Education Program (HepPEd Program) is a national, prison-based hepatitis C health literacy education program for healthcare providers, correctional officers, and people in prison. The HepPEd Program aims to improve the public health literacy of the prison sector regarding hepatitis C in prisons.
The HepPEd: Research Evaluation aims to evaluate the impact of the HepPEd Program on HCV testing and treatment uptake amongst people incarcerated in Australian prisons, as well as changes in knowledge, attitudes, and capabilities of healthcare providers, correctional officers, and people in prison. The study is a controlled before and after study being conducted in 3-6 correctional centres in Australia.
- Detailed Description
The National Prisons Hepatitis Education Program (HepPEd Program) is a national, prison-based hepatitis C health literacy education program for healthcare providers, correctional officers, and people in prison.
The broad goal of HepPEd: Research Evaluation is to measure the impact of a prison-specific hepatitis C (HCV) education program (the HepPEd Program) on enhancing HCV testing and treatment rates in Australian prisons. The HepPEd Program aims to improve HCV testing and treatment rates by enhancing the public health literacy of the prison sector regarding HCV in the prisons (that is the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours), and specifically targets the three key audience groups from the prison setting: healthcare providers, correctional officers, and people in prison.
The study will be conducted as a prison-level, controlled before-and-after trial with a primary objective of evaluating the impact of the HepPEd Program on HCV treatment uptake amongst people incarcerated in Australian prisons. Three to six Australian correctional centres will be selected to participate in the 9-month study. Each correctional centre will have a 3-month period of pre-intervention surveillance, involving monthly observation of HCV treatment uptake under existing operations. This will be followed by a three-month period of education delivery of the HepPEd Program (the 'education intervention'). The monthly surveillance data collection will continue during the intervention period. Finally, each correctional centre will have another 3-month period of post-intervention surveillance, again involving monthly surveillance of HCV treatment rates. Surveys will be conducted with members from each target audience group before and after the education intervention and dried blood spot testing will be conducted with members from the people in prison group to assess baseline HCV prevalence before the education intervention.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 3000
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Whole-of-prison education intervention Education Intervention (The HepPEd Program) The HepPEd Program will saturate the entire prison during a 3-month intervention phase.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The change in the proportion of prisoners treated for HCV before and after the education intervention. 9 months from baseline This will be measured by calculating the change in HCV treatment rates before and after the education intervention.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The dose, reach, and fidelity of the HepPEd Program. 9 months from baseline This is measured by surveys, before and after the education intervention.
The health literacy (knowledge, attitudes, and capabilities) amongst target audience groups (healthcare providers, correctional officers, and people in prison) before and after the education intervention. 9 months from baseline This will be measured by assessing the change in health literacy before and after the education intervention.
The proportion of prisoners tested for HCV before and after the education intervention. 9 months from baseline This will be measured by calculating the change in HCV testing rates before and after the education intervention.
The acceptability, utility, and impact of the HepPEd Program. 9 months from baseline This is measured by surveys, before and after the education intervention.
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Capricornia Correctional Centre
🇦🇺Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Risdon Prison Complex
🇦🇺Hobart, Tasmania, Australia