{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]],"date-time":"2026-01-18T14:53:30Z","timestamp":1768748010701,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,27]],"date-time":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658880000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["EDAHP108003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP108003"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["EDAHP109004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP109004"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["KMUH109-9R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH109-9R06"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["KMUH110-0R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH110-0R06"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"]}]},{"name":"E-Da Hospital","award":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["EDAHP108003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP108003"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["EDAHP109004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP109004"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["KMUH109-9R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH109-9R06"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["KMUH110-0R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH110-0R06"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital","award":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["EDAHP108003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP108003"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["EDAHP109004"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP109004"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["KMUH109-9R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH109-9R06"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["KMUH110-0R06"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH110-0R06"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(C)111006"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KMUH-DK(B)111002-1"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOHW111-TDU-B-221-114007"]}]},{"name":"Kaohsiung Medical University","award":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOST111-2314-B-037-069-MY2"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevails in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), most do not receive anti-HCV therapy. This single-center observational study aimed to achieve HCV micro-elimination at an MMT center during the COVID-19 pandemic using a collaborative referral model, which comprised a referral-for-diagnosis stage (January 2020 to August 2020) and an on-site-diagnosis stage (September 2020 to January 2021). A multidisciplinary team was established and all MMT center patients were enrolled. HCV micro-elimination was defined as &gt;90% of HCV-infected patients diagnosed and &gt;80% of HCV-viremic patients treated. A total of 305 MMT patients, including 275 (90.2%) anti-HCV seropositive patients, were enrolled. Among 189 HCV-infected patients needing referral, the accumulative percentage receiving HCV RNA testing increased from 93 (49.2%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 168 (88.9%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. Among 138 HCV-viremic patients, the accumulative percentage receiving direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy increased from 77 (55.8%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 129 (93.5%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. We achieved an HCV RNA testing rate of 92.4% (254\/275), an HCV treatment rate of 95.8% (203\/212) and a sustained virological response rate of 94.1% (191\/203). The collaborative referral model is highly effective in HCV RNA testing and HCV treatment uptake among MMT patients, achieving HCV micro-elimination.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v14081637","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,29]],"date-time":"2022-07-29T01:41:16Z","timestamp":1659058876000},"page":"1637","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Collaborative Referral Model to Achieve Hepatitis C Micro-Elimination in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1605-3516","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chi-Ming","family":"Tai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chun-Kai","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Infection Control, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Te-Chang","family":"Changchien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Po-Chun","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Deng-Wu","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ting-Ting","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hsue-Wei","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tzu-Haw","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cheng-Hao","family":"Tseng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0266-1534","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chih-Cheng","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chia-Ta","family":"Tsai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Infection Control, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yu-Ting","family":"Sie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2174-2244","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yung-Chieh","family":"Yen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8145-1900","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming-Lung","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80420, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-1253(16)30181-9","article-title":"Polaris Observatory HCV Collaborators. 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