Perceptions of Barriers and Benefits of HCV Treatment and Correlates to Treatment Intention in Methadone Patients

While most methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients have hepatitis C (HCV), less than 11% initiate treatment. The objective of this study was to assess this population's perceptions of HCV treatment. We surveyed 100 HCV+ MMT patients from four urban programs, asking scaled attitude scores about factors that may affect treatment decisions. Using bivariate and ordinal regression methods, results indicated that while education level and previous discussion about treatment with providers were associated with treatment initiation interest, age, race, gender, insurance type, difficulty paying for health care, and time since screening were not. Those who (a) believed HCV treatment is easy to take and cures quickly, (b) have had positive interactions with physicians, and (c) feel they have had enough HCV education were more likely to indicate treatment willingness. Interventions must emphasize positive treatment attitudes and not only focus on structural barriers to move HCV+ MMT patients towards initiating care.