Development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program

ObjectiveChronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a major health problem that disproportionately affects people with limited resources. Many people with HCV are ineligible or refuse antiviral treatment, but less curative treatment options exist. These options include adhering to follow-up health visits, lifestyle changes, and avoiding hepatotoxins like alcohol. Herein, we describe a recently developed self-management program designed to assist HCV-infected patients with adherence and improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).MethodsThe development of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) was informed by scientific literature, qualitative interviews with HCV-infected patients, self-management training, and feedback from HCV clinical experts.ResultsThe Hepatitis C Self-Management Program (HCV-SMP) is a multi-faceted program that employs cognitive-behavioral principles and is designed to provide HCV-infected people with knowledge and skills for improving their HRQOL. The program consists of six 2-h workshop sessions which are held weekly. The sessions consist of a variety of group activities, including disease-specific information dissemination, action planning, and problem-solving.ConclusionThe intervention teaches skills for adhering to challenging treatment recommendations using a validated theoretical model. A randomized trial will test the efficacy of this novel HCV self-management program for improving HRQOL in a difficult to reach population.