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. 2017 Sep 29;14(1):67.
doi: 10.1186/s12954-017-0192-8.

Perceived benefits of the hepatitis C peer educators: a qualitative investigation

A W Batchelder  1   2 , L Cockerham-Colas  1   3 , D Peyser  1   4 , S P Reynoso  1 , I Soloway  1   5 , A H Litwin  6   7   8
Affiliations

Perceived benefits of the hepatitis C peer educators: a qualitative investigation

A W Batchelder et al. Harm Reduct J. .

Abstract

Background: Although opioid-dependent patients are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis C (HCV), many do not receive treatment. In addition to HCV treatment-access barriers, substance-using patients may be reluctant to pursue treatment because of wariness of the medical system, lack of knowledge, or stigma related to HCV treatment. Implementation of a formal peer education program is one model of reducing provider- and patient-level barriers to HCV treatment, by enhancing mutual trust and reducing stigma.

Methods: We used thematic qualitative analysis to explore how 30 HCV patients and peer educators perceived a HCV peer program within an established methadone maintenance program in the USA.

Results: Participants unanimously described the program as beneficial. Participants described the peer educators' normalization and dispelling of myths and fears around HCV treatment, and their exemplification of HCV treatment success, and reductions in perceived stigma. Peer educators described personal benefits.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that HCV peer educators can enhance HCV treatment initiation and engagement within opioid substitution programs.

Keywords: Hepatitis C; Methadone; Peer; Peer educator; Treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This work was approved by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Institutional Review Board, and all participants completed informed consent.

Consent for publication

All participants completed informed consent, which included a description of publishing de-identified components of the transcribed interviews.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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