Evaluation of Linkage to Care Programs in Support of Hepatitis C Elimination

OIDP released the following notice of funding opportunity in June 2023:

Funding Opportunity Number: ID-IDP-23-001

Opportunity Title: Evaluation of linkage to care programs in support of hepatitis C elimination   

Award Amount:  $450,000

The purpose of this initiative is to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of novel linkage to care services in settings with higher prevalence of hepatitis C, including correctional facilities, substance use treatment programs, syringe service programs, or other harm reduction programs.

Interventions of interest are those that are likely to improve hepatitis C treatment rates, reduce transmission, reduce hepatitis C disparities, and reduce hepatitis C-related liver cancer and mortality.

The recipient will work with community partners to implement and evaluate interventions and develop resources for dissemination to diverse stakeholders. 

Cherokee Nation Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Engagement and Linkage to Program

OIDP awarded $450,000 to Cherokee Nation to expand and evaluate the HCV Engagement and Linkage Program (HELP) initiative.

Goals:

The goal of the HELP initiative is to increase access to hepatitis C health care among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. This program will collaborate with four community-based programs to screen AI/AN people for hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis who receive services for substance use disorders and housing insecurities.

Evaluation:

Cherokee Nation will conduct a process and outcomes evaluation to measure the impact of program activities on hepatitis C outcomes among AI/AN populations. The evaluation will also identify facilitators and barriers to hepatitis C linkage to care among this population.

Dissemination:

Cherokee Nation will disseminate evaluation findings through professional conferences and meetings, formal and informal evaluation reports, and scholarly journal publications.