Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the DNP project was to conduct an intervention to improve hepatitis C (HCV) screening rates of baby boomers in a rural primary care clinic.|Background: 75% of the population infected with HCV was born between 1945-1965 (Coffin and Reynolds, 2014). Between 2013 and 2014, 54% of persons with HCV were aware of their infection (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2016). Hepatocellular carcinoma, a complication of HCV, is the fastest growing cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. (Yan et al., 2016). Approximately 37.2% of the U.S. population with HCV will have cirrhosis in 2020 and 45% in 2030 (Yan et al., 2016). Current guidelines recommend that baby boomers, regardless of risk factors, be screened for HCV (CDC, 2012; AASLD, 2015).|Methods: The pilot project was an interventional design with a control and intervention group. A decisional aid based on HCV screening practices was developed and administered to patients in the intervention group. Shared decision-making was assessed with patients using the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDMQ-9).|Results: Analysis of the survey results revealed a slightly higher average score of the intervention group (M=4.5, SE=.15) compared to the control group (M=4.1, SE=.35). The difference in average SDMQ9 scores between the two groups did not reveal statistical significance (t(36)= -1.18, p=-.25). Patient consent to hepatitis C screening was recorded in both the control and intervention groups. Of the 38 total participants all 38 consented to HCV screening.|Discussion: Although there was no statistical significance between the control and intervention group; both groups had an overall high average score and all participants consented to HCV screening. The value of the patient-provider relationship and its correlation to provider initiation of the HCV screening discussion may be important for future studies in promotion of screening.