{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,8]],"date-time":"2025-11-08T23:00:44Z","timestamp":1762642844103,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,18]],"date-time":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1681776000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The care provided in general practice to intravenous drug users (IDUs) with hepatitis C (HCV) extends beyond opioid substitution therapy. An aggregated analysis of HCV service utilization within general practice specifically related to diagnosis and treatment outcomes remains unknown from previous literature. Aims: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of HCV and analyze data related to the diagnosis and treatment-related outcomes of HCV patients with a history of intravenous drug use in the general practice setting. Design and setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis in general practice. Methods: This review included studies published in the following databases: EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Two reviewers independently extracted data in standard forms in Covidence. A meta-analysis was done using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model with inverse variance weighting. Results: A total of 20,956 patients from 440 general practices participated in the 18 selected studies. A meta-analysis of 15 studies showed a 46% (95% confidence interval (CI), 26\u201367%) prevalence rate of hepatitis C amongst IDUs. Genotype information was available in four studies and treatment-related outcomes in 11 studies. Overall, treatment uptake was 9%, with a cure rate of 64% (95% CI, 43\u201383%). However, relevant information, such as specific treatment regimens, treatment duration and doses, and patient comorbidities, was poorly documented in these studies. Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV in IDUs is 46% in general practice. Only ten studies reported HCV-related treatment outcomes; however, the overall uptake rate was below 10%, with a cure rate of 64%. Likewise, the genotypic variants of HCV diagnoses, medication types, and doses were poorly reported, suggesting a need for further research into this aspect of care within this patient group to ensure optimal treatment outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20085569","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,19]],"date-time":"2023-04-19T01:39:05Z","timestamp":1681868345000},"page":"5569","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Hepatitis C Infection and Treatment among Injecting Drug Users Attending General Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7742-7980","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meera","family":"Tandan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shane","family":"Dunlea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gerard","family":"Bury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Practice, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2020). 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