What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 602 patients with hepatitis c. The study was sponsored by Andrew Talal and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.
What the results showed
90% cured with telemedicine vs. 39% with off-site referral.
JAMA · 2024 · NCT02933970
These findings — that cured of hepatitis C with on-site telemedicine vs. off-site specialist referral — were published in the JAMA and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 602 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with hepatitis c, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Direct-acting antiviral pills for hepatitis C are FDA-approved and available now. Many opioid treatment programs and harm-reduction clinics now offer hepatitis C treatment on-site or via telemedicine. Ask your addiction medicine doctor about access — Medicare and most state Medicaid programs cover treatment.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open hepatitis c trials
The Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program
The National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program will establish an observational cohort to evaluate whether scale-up of finger-stick point-of-care HCV testing increases diagnosis and treatment for HCV infection. Participants will be recruited from settings providing services to people with a risk factor for the acquisition of HCV infection (including drug treatment clinics, needle and syringe programs, homelessness settings, mental health services, prisons, and mobile outreach). Participants will attend a single visit to have their HCV RNA status tested and complete a self-administered survey. Participants will not receive treatment as a part of this study. Participants who are HCV RNA positive will be linked to standard of care.
The Effects of IL-1 Blockade on Inotrope Sensitivity in Patients With Heart Failure (AID-HEART)
End-stage heart failure (HF) is a progressive illness with a mortality rate similar to most advanced cancers.Roughly 5% of patients with HF have end-stage disease that is refractory to medical therapy (stage D heart failure). When patients reach this point in their disease, the only treatments known to prolong life are cardiac transplantation or left ventricular assist devices. In patients who do not qualify for these options, or elect a palliative approach, inotropes are frequently used to improve hemodynamics through an increase in cardiac output and reduction in filling pressures. While inotropes provide profound symptomatic relief, these benefits are accompanied by significant risks of progressive adverse cardiac remodeling, arrhythmias, and sudden death. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop strategies to reduce the dose or duration of inotrope use in the management of patients with stage D of HF.