Delays in fibrosis staging reduce the likelihood of achieving hepatitis C treatment and cure.

Background: Updated 2021 hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment guidelines no longer recommend fibrosis staging for treatment-naïve patients without cirrhosis; however, numerous US state Medicaid plans continue to restrict initiation of HCV therapy by fibrosis stage. The study objective was to determine whether delays from HCV diagnosis to fibrosis staging impact the likelihood of initiating/completing HCV treatment and achieving sustained virologic response (SVR).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed among patients diagnosed with chronic HCV by an urban US emergency department who subsequently underwent fibrosis staging.