Healthcare Providers' Views on Hepatitis C Testing and Counseling Among Sexual Partners of Hepatitis-C-Infected Persons: An Online Survey.

Background: Current hepatitis C virus (HCV) counseling guidelines do not recommend that HCV-infected patients notify their partners or encourage them to get tested. We aimed to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge of and attitudes toward counseling and testing recommendations for HCV-infected patients.

Methods: A 15-question, anonymous survey was designed and distributed via email to a convenience sample of healthcare professionals who work with Brown University or Boston University affiliated hospitals to assess their knowledge of and attitudes toward counseling recommendations for HCV-infected patients. The data was collected electronically and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.

Results: Of the 55 respondents (a 20% response rate), 73% incorrectly believed that, at the time the survey was completed, CDC HCV testing guidelines already recommended partners of HCV-infected patients be tested for HCV infection. Furthermore, 80% of respondents believed recommendations should be revisited to explicitly include that HCV-infected patients encourage their partners to get tested. When counseling patients with HCV, 44% of respondents reported they always ask whether the patient's partners have been tested for HCV and 42% reported they sometimes do. Similarly, 42% reported they always suggest that the HCV-infected patient's partners be tested for HCV.

Conclusions: Our survey shows that healthcare providers believe that HCV-counseling and testing recommendations could be revisited, with specific attention given to the promotion of HCV testing for partners of HCV-infected patients.