{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T14:08:18Z","timestamp":1775830098142,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]],"date-time":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737590400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"Background and aims<\/jats:title>There are gaps in knowledge about the values and preferences of healthcare workers (HCW) with respect to treatment of children and adolescents living with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. This study was carried out to identify these values and preferences as part of the evidence required to update World Health Organization (WHO) hepatitis C guidelines.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Methods<\/jats:title>An online survey was designed and conducted during August\/September 2021. Survey questions were developed to address two key questions about treatment of children and adolescents: who to treat, and which direct acting antiviral (DAA) regimens to use. The survey was circulated by the WHO to nine networks providing care to children and adolescents living with HCV infection, with respondents requested to cascade further within their networks.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Results<\/jats:title>A total of 137 individuals from 38 countries responded to the survey. There was a trend toward higher preference for treating children of older age groups; 60% of respondents reported a strong preference for treating (i.e., stating they were very likely or likely to treat) children aged 3 to &lt;6\u202fyears, 81 and 95% indicated strong preferences for treating those aged 6 to &lt;12\u202fyears and 12 to &lt;18\u202fyears, respectively. The most preferred DAA regimens for treatment across all age groups were: sofosbuvir\/velpatasvir (SOF\/VEL), sofosbuvir\/ledipasvir (SOF\/LDV), and glecaprevir\/pibrentasvir (GLE\/PIB). These were also reported to be the most commonly available drug regimens at respondents\u2019 facilities.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Conclusion<\/jats:title>This survey provides insights from a heterogenous sample of HCWs from across the world with respect to their expressed priorities and preferences for the treatment of children and adolescents with chronic HCV.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1504678","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]],"date-time":"2025-01-23T05:11:23Z","timestamp":1737609083000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Attitudes and perspectives of healthcare workers on treating chronic hepatitis C infection in children and adolescents"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Farihah","family":"Malik","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Philippa","family":"Easterbrook","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Indolfi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Claire","family":"Thorne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"Updated recommendations on treatment of adolescents and children with chronic HCV infection, and HCV simplified service delivery and diagnostics\n \n \n \n 2022"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-1253(19)30385-1","article-title":"Global prevalence of hepatitis C virus in children in 2018: a modelling study","volume":"5","author":"Schmelzer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"Guidelines for the care and treatment of persons diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C virus infection\n \n \n \n 2018"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1097\/MPG.0000000000001872","article-title":"Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in children: a position paper by the hepatology Committee of European Society of Paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition","volume":"66","author":"Indolfi","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhep.2018.11.013","article-title":"Epidemiology and natural history of hepatitis C virus infection among children and young people","volume":"70","author":"Modin","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Hepatol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1746.2007.04859.x","article-title":"Health-related quality of life in children with hepatitis C acquired in the first year of life","volume":"23","author":"Nydegger","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pedn.2016.09.005","article-title":"Children with hepatitis C: the impact of disease and treatment on patients, Caregivers and Families","volume":"32","author":"Annunziato","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Pediatr Nurs"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1002\/HEP.30821","article-title":"Sofosbuvir and ribavirin therapy for children aged 3 to to <12 years with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3 infection","volume":"71","author":"Rosenthal","year":"2020","journal-title":"Hepatology"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-1253(19)30046-9","article-title":"Hepatitis C virus infection in children and adolescents","volume":"4","author":"Indolfi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100227","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhepr.2021.100227","article-title":"Where are the children in national hepatitis C policies? A global review of national strategic plans and guidelines","volume":"3","author":"Malik","year":"2021","journal-title":"JHEP Reports"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1111\/liv.15827","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of DAA in children and adolescents with chronic HCV infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"44","author":"Indolfi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Liver Int"},{"key":"ref12","unstructured":"WHO handbook for guideline development\n \n \n \n 2014"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbi.2019.103208","article-title":"The REDCap consortium: building an international community of software platform partners","volume":"95","author":"Harris","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Biomed Inform"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbi.2008.08.010","article-title":"Research electronic data capture (REDCap)-a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support","volume":"42","author":"Harris","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Biomed Inform"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.18148\/SRM\/2020.V14I5.7641","article-title":"Valid vs. invalid straightlining: the complex relationship between straightlining and data quality","volume":"14","author":"Reuning","year":"2020","journal-title":"Surv Res Methods"},{"key":"ref16","unstructured":"World Bank country and lending groups\n \n 2021"},{"key":"ref17","unstructured":"ANNEX 4. 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