{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T05:45:47Z","timestamp":1768801547030,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,24]],"date-time":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004738","name":"E-Da Hospital","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["EDAHP112028"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EDAHP112028"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004738","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Community-based screening for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed a collaborative referral model between a primary clinic (Liouguei District Public Health Center, LDPHC) and a tertiary referral center to increase HCV screening and treatment uptake in a mountainous region of Taiwan. Once-in-a-lifetime hepatitis B and C screening services established by the Taiwan National Health Insurance were performed at LDPHC. Antibody-to-HCV (anti-HCV)-seropositive patients received scheduled referrals and took a shuttle bus to E-Da hospital for HCV RNA testing on their first visit. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) were prescribed for HCV-viremic patients on their second visit. From October 2020 to September 2022, of 3835 residents eligible for HCV screening in Liouguei District, 1879 (49%) received anti-HCV testing at LDPHC. The overall HCV screening coverage rate increased from 40% before referral to 69.4% after referral. Of the 79 anti-HCV-seropositive patients, 70 (88.6%) were successfully referred. Of the 38 HCV-viremic patients, 35 (92.1%) received DAA therapy, and 32 (91.4%) achieved sustained virological response. The collaborative referral model demonstrates a good model for HCV screening and access to care and treatment in a Taiwan mountainous region, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustained referral is possible using this routine referral model.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v15040827","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,24]],"date-time":"2023-03-24T06:34:07Z","timestamp":1679639647000},"page":"827","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Collaborative Referral Model for Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment in a Remote Mountainous Region of Taiwan during the COVID-19 Pandemic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","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 824, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ming-Jong","family":"Bair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung 950408, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei 252, 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 824, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cheng-Hao","family":"Tseng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chih-Cheng","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan"},{"name":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hung","family":"Lam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Liouguei District Public Health Center, Kaohsiung 844, 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":"School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan"},{"name":"Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan"},{"name":"Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jis385","article-title":"Chronic hepatitis C virus infection increases mortality from hepatic and extrahepatic diseases: A community-based long-term prospective study","volume":"206","author":"Lee","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. 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