Publications by authors named "R Altus"
Background: A unique model of care was adopted in Australia following introduction of universal subsidised direct-acting antiviral (DAA) access in 2016 in order to encourage rapid scale-up of treatment. Community-based medical practitioners and integrated hepatitis nurses initiated DAA treatment with remote hepatitis specialist approval of the planned treatment without physical review.
Aims: To evaluate outcomes of community-based treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through this remote consultation process in the first 12 months of this model of care.
Aim: The objective was to study the long-term (lifetime) cost effectiveness of four different hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment models of care (MOC) with directly acting antiviral drugs.
Methods: A cohort Markov model-based probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was undertaken extrapolating to up to 30 years from cost and outcome data collected from a primary study involving a real-life Australian cohort. In this study, noncirrhotic patients treated for HCV from 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2017 at four major public hospitals and liaising sites in South Australia were studied retrospectively.
Aim: To examined the efficacy and safety of treatment with boceprevir, PEGylated-interferon and ribavirin (PR) in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (HCVGT1) PR treatment-failures in Asia.
Methods: The Boceprevir Named-Patient Program provided boceprevir to HCVGT1 PR treatment-failures. Participating physicians were invited to contribute data from their patients: baseline characteristics, on-treatment responses, sustained virological response at week 12 (SVR12), and safety were collected and analysed.
Background: Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with 6-monthly ultrasound is a standard of care for higher-risk patients with viral hepatitis. Adherence to screening guidelines is an important quality indicator in hepatology, but multiple studies have demonstrated poor HCC surveillance practices in real-world settings.
Aims: The aim of this project was to audit and then optimise HCC surveillance of viral hepatitis patients, who fulfilled criteria for screening, associated with a large tertiary hospital.
Background: Hepatitis C treatment is successful in 40-80% of patients in drug sponsored registration trials. However, few studies have examined treatment outcomes in non-trial, routine clinical practice settings.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes and predictors of a sustained virological response in a routine clinical setting.