Hepatitis C treatment in pharmacotherapy services: increasing treatment uptake needs a critical view.

Issues: In an effort to increase the number of people undergoing hepatitis C treatment, a range of initiatives are planned or underway to provide treatment in non-specialist services, such as opioid pharmacotherapy treatment (OPT) clinics.

Approach: This commentary considers the implications of this new approach to treatment delivery, taking account of individual-level issues generally discussed in the literature, such as knowledge of treatment and concerns about side effects. In addition, because less visible organisational and structural factors would equally influence the successful implementation of hepatitis C treatment in OPT services, these are also explored.

Alcohol and other drug treatment experiences of hepatitis C-positive and negative clients: implications for hepatitis C treatment.

To assess whether HCV-positive clients perceive that alcohol and other drug (AOD) staff discriminate against them, this study compared the treatment experiences of 120 HCV-positive clients with those of 120 HCV-negative clients attending the same AOD treatment facility. Despite the overall findings of favourable attitudes of HCV-positive clients toward their health care workers, these attitudes were less positive than those of their HCV-negative counterparts. Clients with HCV also rated their interpersonal treatment by their health care workers less favourably.

Evaluation of a revised instrument to assess the needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Background: This study was conducted to assess the face, content and construct validity and the internal validity of the revised version of an instrument to measure the perceived needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer [Prostate Cancer Needs Questionnaire version 2 (PCNQv2)]. The PCNQ was constructed in two parts with Part 1 measuring needs at diagnosis and initial treatment and Part 2 measuring current needs.

Methods: A random sample of 650 men diagnosed with prostate cancer attending a Urologist of the Hunter Urology Group in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, were invited to participate in the study and sent by post the self-administered PCNQ.

The influence of specialists on prescribing by GPs. A qualitative study.

Objective: To investigate specialists' influence on prescribing by general practitioners.

Method: A focus group study of 35 GPs.

Setting: Hunter Urban Division of General Practice, New South Wales.

Evaluation of an instrument to assess the needs of men diagnosed with prostate carcinoma: an assessment of the validity and reliability of a self-administered questionnaire developed to measure the needs experienced by men diagnosed with prostate carcinoma.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate a self-administered questionnaire developed to measure the needs experienced by men diagnosed with prostate carcinoma (the Prostate Cancer Needs Questionnaire [PCNQv1.1]). The PCNQv1.