HCV Treatment Psychosocial Readiness Assessment Tool (HCV-PRAT)
Guide to Interventions & Resources |
|
Immediate Interventions |
Resources |
Referrals |
Motivation |
- Provide education on the course of chronic Hepatitis C infection, the benefits of early treatment, and the potential benefits of eliminating the virus from the body |
- A Guide to Hepatitis C: Making Treatment Decisions
- A Guide to Hepatitis C: Preparing for Treatment |
- HCV patient support group for sustained peer support and motivation |
HCV Health Literacy |
- Educate client about Hepatitis C disease and treatment response |
- www.hcvadvocate.org www.cdc.gov/hepatitis
- www.nyc.gov/health |
- HCV patient support group for sustained peer education |
Medication Adherence |
- Conduct full adherence assessment
- Engage family member or supportive
person in treatment adherence plan
- Mark calendar, set cell phone alarm or other alarm to ring when time to take medication
- Discuss how to integrate HCV treatment into existing medication regimen |
- HCV Treatment: A Guide to Help You Stay on Treatment |
- Treatment adherence program
- Directly Observed Therapy/Pill Counts
- Visiting nurse
- Specialty pharmacy
- HCV patient support group |
Self-Efficacy |
- Consider Directly Observed Therapy Administering Interferon at the medical provider office/clinic |
- Treatment Side Effect Management
- A Guide to Help You Stay on Treatment
- Overcoming Medical Phobias: How to Conquer Fear of Blood, Needles, Doctors, And Dentists |
- HCV patient support group for sustained peer support and motivation
- Specialty pharmacy for enhanced treatment support
- Visiting nurse service |
Social Stability- Support |
- Explore barriers that interfere with accessing social support (shame, stigma, low self-esteem) |
- ACCESS NYC - a free service that identifies and screens for over 30 City, State and Federal human service benefit programs |
- Case management
- Social work - mental health
- HCV patient support group |
Alcohol & Substance Use |
- Educate about the effect of alcohol on the liver and on HCV treatment response
- Educate about risk of continued substance abuse (health and risk of contracting infectious disease)
- Use motivational interviewing to encourage engagement in harm reduction & recovery services
- Conduct further structured assessment of alcohol and/or substance use with AUDIT-C, CAGE, ASI-Lite, KMSK |
- Alcohol and HCV – Patient fact sheet
- 1-800-LIFENET - 24 hour mental health crisis hotline and treatment site referral database |
- www.HarmReduction.org – lists all harm reduction program in NYC
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (SAMHSA) |
Psychiatric Stability |
- Educate about the possible psychiatric side effects of HCV treatment
- Provide mental health, psychosocial or psychiatric evaluation if qualified
- Conduct structured assessment of psychiatric stability with BDI-II, HADS, SCL-90, BPRS |
- 1-800-LIFENET: A free 24 hour mental health crisis hotline and referral database for the public |
- Psychiatric or mental health evaluation & ongoing support throughout treatment
- HCV patient support group |
Energy Level |
- Explore patient’s level of daily exercise and dietary habits that might impact sleep and energy level
- Conduct further structured assessment of fatigue with Fatigue Severity Scale |
- New York City Sleep Center (212) 740-4600 |
- Evaluation for medication management of insomnia, fatigue and/or depression |
|
Cognitive Functioning |
- Consider Directly Observed Therapy
- Verbally describe treatment processes and procedures in detail
- Inform medical provider that after medication teaching the patient should demonstrate technique back to ensure understanding
- Ask if a family member or friend can be present to reinforce learning |
Adult literacy classes such as:
- The City University of New York Adult Literacy Program (212) 794-5302
- Literacy Partners Inc (212) 725-9200)
- Dealing with Cognitive Dysfunction |
- Specialty pharmacy that will provide reinforcement of teaching
- Treatment adherence program
- Psychiatric or neurological consult, brain imaging, and or/neuropsychological testing |