Research > Individuals with HCV/HIV

Background: The burden of chronic HCV is predicted to increase, but few studies have examined health service use in diagnosed individuals, particularly at a population level. Linkage and validation of clinical, public health and administrative databases has been undertaken to generate a comprehensive, population-based data set from which to conduct further research among individuals diagnosed with HCV.

Objectives: To describe the demographic profile, risk factors, health service utilization and health outcomes of individuals diagnosed with HCV and HIV; to describe the quantity and cost of medical and mental health services used by individuals diagnosed with HCV and HIV; and to determine the major predictors of quantity and cost of health services (e.g. physician visits, hospital admissions, drug treatment).

Methods: Linkage of data from clinical databases held by tertiary care centers, administrative databases (Medical Services Insurance, Physician Billing Databases, Hospital Separations Databases, Community Services, Pharmacare Databases, Seniors Pharmacare Databases, and Mental Health Outpatient Information System Databases) and public health databases (Notifiable Disease Databases).

Cross Fertilization: Building on the work of NSHepLink in Nova Scotia , this project will be used as a template to conduct similar investigations in HIV/AIDS in NS, and to develop the capacity to generate comparative data in the other Atlantic provinces .

Funding Strategy: With the exception of mental health services, the objectives have been addressed in NS using data to the end of 2000 as part of NSHepLink. A proposal to update the database and apply these methods to the investigation of HIV/AIDS, and to address health service use, including mental health service use across provinces will be developed within the first two years, and submitted for external funding to CIHR.