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Table 4 Patient knowledge about Hepatitis C and its treatment, prior and after the health educational program

From: A multidimensional education program at substance dependence treatment centers improves patient knowledge and hepatitis C care

 

Baseline

Post-HEP

p value

Overall knowledge score, %a

  

<0.001

 mean ± SD

68.8 ± 16.6

79.0 ± 12.4

 median (min-max)

71.8 (7.7–98.3)

81.2 (15.4–100)

Disease knowledge sub-score, %a

  

<0.001

 mean ± SD

71.6 ± 16.4

79.9 ± 13.1

 median (min-max)

74.1 (11.1–100)

81.4 (11.1–100)

Questions

1. Patient shows symptoms immediately after infection with HCV

 No, % (n) [correct]

78.0 (393)

88.9 (448)

<0.001

2. If left untreated, the majority of cases progress to cirrhosis

 Yes, % (n) [correct]

77.2 (389)

86.1 (434)

<0.001

3. Co-infection with HIV may increase disease progression

 Yes, % (n) [correct]

78.8 (397)

86.7 (437)

<0.001

4. Alcohol consumption may increase disease progression

 Yes, % (n) [correct]

96.8 (488)

98.8 (498)

<0.001

5. What is HCV disease, % (n)

 Is a liver viral disease [correct]

91.5 (461)

96.4 (486)

<0.001

 Is a disease that affects whole body organs

3.0 (15)

2.2 (11)

 

 Doesn’t know

5.6 (28)

1.4 (7)

 

6. How is HCV transmitted, % (n)b

 Sexual transmission only

4.8 (24)

2.6 (13)

0.061

 Sexual and blood transmission [correct]

73.9 (370)

84.3 (425)

0.001

 Physical contact

4.6 (23)

3.0 (15)

0.134

 Sharing of materials related with drug use

15.6 (78)

10.1 (51)

0.004

 Doesn’t know

5.2 (26)

1.4 (7)

<0.001

 Other

2.8 (14)

1.4 (7)

 

7. What are the symptoms of HCV disease, % (n)c

 Generalized weakness [correct]

38.7 (195)

41.7 (210)

0.295

 Weight loss [correct]

19.2 (97)

23.8 (120)

0.062

 Vomits and diarrhea [correct]

10.3 (52)

13.3 (67)

0.142

 All the previous [correct]

19.4 (98)

20.6 (104)

0.659

 There are no symptoms

14.5 (73)

16.9 (85)

0.261

 Doesn’t know

21.2 (107)

14.5 (73)

0.001

8. HCV disease is curable

 Yes, % (n) [correct]

74.2 (373)

88.7 (447)

<0.001

9. Which diseases are most associated with HCV disease?, % (n)c

 HIV

20.2 (102)

31.7 (160)

<0.001

 Hepatitis B

25.4 (128)

27.6 (139)

0.396

 Tuberculosis

8.7 (44)

10.3 (52)

0.403

 All the previous [correct]

17.1 (86)

20.0 (101)

0.199

 Doesn’t know

42.3 (213)

30.2 (152)

<0.001

HCV treatment knowledge sub-score, %a

 mean ± SD

62.4 ± 26.9 %

76.8 ± 18.3 %

<0.001

 median (min-max)

69.4 (0.0–100)

80.6 (0.0–100)

Questions

10. What are the treatment options for HCV disease, % (n)

  

<0.001

 Treatment that should be used over the lifetime

3.6 (18)

1.8 (9)

 

 Treatment that should be used during a limited period [correct]

82.7 (417)

92.7 (467)

 

 There is no treatment

1.8 (9)

0.4 (2)

 

 Doesn’t know

11.9 (60)

5.2 (26)

 

11. What are the possible treatment outcomes, % (n)

  

<0.001

 Most patients develop liver cirrhosis

5.0 (25)

2.2 (11)

 

 Most patients become cured [correct]

66.7 (335)

86.1 (434)

 

 Doesn’t know

28.3 (142)

11.7 (59)

 

12. What are main adverse reactions to HCV treatment, % (n)d

   

 Flu-like symptoms [correct]

35.3 (178)

45.8 (231)

<0.001

 Fatigue [correct]

53.0 (267)

65.3 (329)

<0.001

 Depression [correct]

36.7 (185)

50.8 (256)

<0.001

 Appetite loss [correct]

42.3 (213)

54.0 (272)

<0.001

 Nausea, vomits and diarrhea [correct]

33.7 (170)

44.8 (226)

<0.001

 Skin reactions [correct]

15.5 (78)

27.2 (137)

<0.001

 Weight loss [correct]

40.7 (205)

60.3 (304)

<0.001

 Alopecia [correct]

21.4 (108)

32.1 (162)

<0.001

 Doesn’t know

31.0 (156)

6.2 (31)

<0.001

 Other

6.0 (30)

16.1 (81)

 

13. Do adverse reactions disappear after treatment discontinuation

 Yes, % (n) [correct]

68.8 (346)

85.5 (431)

<0.001

  1. McNemar test was used to compare changes in the proportion of correct answers for each question between baseline and after program implementation. Wilcoxon test was used to analyze changes in overall knowledge score and sub-scores between both time points. p < 0.05 is considered statistically significant
  2. HEP Health Educational Program, SD standard-deviation
  3. aThe overall knowledge score was calculated by assigning one point to each correct answer. The score reflected the percentage of points obtained out of the 13 questions. For all questions, missing data and “don’t know” answers were considered as not correct (score = 0). Disease knowledge sub-score was calculated based on correct answers to questions 1–9. HCV treatment knowledge sub-score was calculated based on correct answers to questions 10–13
  4. bWhenever a patient chose more options than the correct one, a score of “1/number of answers” was attributed
  5. cWhenever a patient chose one or two out of three correct options a score of 0.33 and 0.67 was attributed, respectively
  6. dThe score was the number of correct answers over nine questions
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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