DENVER HEALTH AND HOSPITALS AUTHORITY

Nontargeted HCV Screening in Emergency Departments Identifies 34% More New Infections Than Risk-Based Approach

- The DETECT Hep C Trial, the largest pragmatic clinical trial of HCV screening in emergency departments to date, found that nontargeted screening identified significantly more new hepatitis C infections than targeted screening (relative risk 1.34, P=0.02). - Among 147,498 patient visits across three high-volume emergency departments, nontargeted screening resulted in 154 new HCV diagnoses compared to 115 diagnoses with targeted screening based on risk factors. - Despite improved detection rates, both screening approaches showed concerning gaps in the care continuum, with only 9.1% of nontargeted and 9.6% of targeted screening patients achieving sustained virologic response at 12 weeks. - The study highlights an urgent need for innovative HCV treatment models, as the substantial decrease from diagnosis to cure represents a critical healthcare delivery challenge.