Research Activities, January 2013: Comparative Effectiveness Research: Review examines Hepatitis C screening effects in adults

Research Activities, January 2013: Comparative Effectiveness Research: Review examines Hepatitis C screening effects in adults

Review examines Hepatitis C screening effects in adults

A new research review from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Effective Health Care Program has found that although screening strategies for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) can accurately identify adults with the disease, more research is needed to understand the effects of targeted screening strategies in adults. The review also noted that evidence remains limited on the effects of knowing one's HCV status on clinical health outcomes in patients diagnosed with HCV.
This review also discusses the effects that screening has on pregnant women and their ability to pass the infection onto their offspring.  Studies found no clear association between type of birth delivery and risk of transmission in mothers and children, and consistently found no association between breastfeeding and transmission risk.
These findings are available in the research review Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults that can be found at http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov.