Effects of a brief educational program on knowledge and willingness to accept treatment among patients with hepatitis C at inner-city hospitals.

Hepatitis C is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. The prevalence of HCV infection is higher in African Americans and Hispanics than among non-Hispanic whites. African Americans not only have a high prevalence of HCV but they also show lower response rates to treatment with pegylated interferon and Ribavirin. Studies have shown that HCV patients often have low levels of knowledge about the disease, including knowledge about modes of transmission and available treatment options. This study was based in two inner-city hospitals in Brooklyn, New York, Kings County Medical Center and The University Hospital of Brooklyn. The goal of this study was to evaluate the change in knowledge of patients with HCV and their willingness to accept treatment after a single session of on-site education which was delivered as part of a clinic visit. Our patients were from minority ethnic groups, with the majority being African Americans. There was a substantially low knowledge among patients with HCV about the etiologic agent being a virus amongst the twenty five patients who completed the study. After the educational intervention there was an increase in knowledge about risk factors for transmitting HCV, such as unprotected sexual intercourse (100% vs. 88% at baseline), tattooing and body piercing (88% vs. 64% at baseline), and sharing personal items like razors. Knowledge of the risk of developing liver cancer in patients with HCV also increased substantially (96% vs. 77% at baseline). There was a marked increase in the expressed willingness to accept treatment (88% vs. 41% baseline). The results of the educational intervention were very encouraging. These results have implication in setting up a structured educational intervention in liver clinics for HCV patients.