Premium
Loss to follow‐up in the hepatitis C care cascade: A substantial problem but opportunity for micro‐elimination
Author(s) -
Dijk Marleen,
Drenth Joost P.H.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/jvh.13399
Subject(s) - viral hepatitis , hepatitis c , medicine , hepatitis , intensive care medicine , virology
Since the advent of direct‐acting antivirals, elimination of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infections seems within reach. However, studies on the HCV cascade of care show suboptimal progression through each step for all patient groups. Loss to follow‐up (LTFU) is a major issue and is a barrier to HCV elimination. This review summarizes the scale of the LTFU problem and proposes a micro‐elimination approach. Retrieving LTFU patients and re‐engaging them with care again has shown to be feasible in the Netherlands. Micro‐elimination through retrieval can contribute to reaching the World Health Organization's viral hepatitis elimination targets by 2030.