Fig. 1

Schematic overview of the main steps of data extraction and management

CUP: Compassionate use programme, NIR: National identification number, CMUC: Complementary Universal Health Insurance, AME: State Medical Assistance, LTD: Long-term disease, PEG-IFN: Pegylated Interferon α, RBV: Ribavirin, PIs: Protease inhibitors, BOC: boceprevir, TVR: telaprevir, DAAs: Direct-acting antivirals, SOF: sofosbuvir, SMV: simeprevir, DCV: daclatasvir, LDV: ledipasvir, OBV: ombitasvir, PTVr: ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir, DSV: dasabuvir. * Initiation of HCV therapy was defined as reimbursement for a drug in the absence of any reimbursement for the same drug in the six previous weeks. **The type of therapy was classified according the following algorithm: 1) “1st-wave PIs” in case of reimbursement of TVR or BOC + PEG-IFN α + RBV; 2) “2nd-wave DAAs” in case of reimbursement of SOF, SMV, DCV, SOF + LDV, OBV + PTVr, DSV +/− PEG-IFN α +/− RBV; 3) “PEG-IFN/RBV bitherapy” otherwise and in case of simultaneous deliveries of PEG-IFN α and RBV. *** The date of end of therapy was defined by the last delivery date without discontinuation (i.e. without a delay of more than six weeks between two reimbursements for the same drug). This date was not available for all patients initiating HCV therapy in 2015. Some patients may have initiated successive HCV treatments during the year or the quarter