Acceptability and Usability of HCV Self-Testing in High Risk Populations in Vietnam

Abstract

HIV self-testing has emerged as a safe and effective approach to increase the access to and uptake of HIV testing and treatment, especially for key populations. Applying self-testing to hepatitis C virus (HCV) may also offer an additional way to address low coverage of HCV testing and to accelerate elimination efforts. To understand the potential for HCV self-testing (HCVST), an observational study was conducted to assess the acceptability and usability of the OraQuick® HCV Self-Test (prototype) among people who inject drugs (PWID) and men who have sex with men (MSM) in Thai Nguyen, a province in northern Vietnam. A total of 105 PWID and 104 MSM were eligible and agreed to participate in the study. Acceptability, defined as the proportion of participants among eligible subjects who agreed to participate in the study, was 92.9% in PWID and 98.6% in MSM. Compared to MSM, PWID were older (median age: 45 vs. 22 years; p < 0.0001) and had a lower education level (high school and college: 38.1% vs. 100%; p < 0.0001). HCVST usability was high among MSM with fewer observed mistakes, difficulties, or participants requiring assistance (33.7%, 28.8%, and 17.3%, respectively) compared to PWID (62.9%, 53.3%, and 66.7%, respectively; all p < 0.0001)). Inter-reader and inter-operator agreement were good in both groups (Kappa coefficient range: 0.61–0.99). However, the concordance between HCVST and study staff -read or performed HCV testing was lower among PWID than MSM (inter-reader concordance 88.6% vs. 99.0% and inter-operator concordance 81.9% vs. 99%). Overall, HCVST was highly acceptable with moderate to high usability among PWID and MSM in Thai Nguyen. Efforts to provide support and assistance may be needed to optimize performance, particularly for PWID populations and for those who are older and with lower literacy or education levels.

Usability and Acceptability of Oral-Based HCV Self-Testing Among Key Populations: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation in Tbilisi, Georgia

“…Our ndings are consistent with a similar twin study carried out in Vietnam [32]. Researchers found that the number of MSM conducting HCVST correctly was signi cantly higher compared to PWID (66.3% vs 37.1%; p < 0.0001), owing to sociodemographic differences among PWID such as being older and less educated.…”

“…Usability was assessed by calculating the frequencies of mistakes, di culties and assistance needed at each step of the testing procedure from opening the package to reading the results. Usability was de ned as the percentage of participants who completed the testing steps without assistance and interpreted results correctly [32]. The percent agreement along with the Cohen's Kappa coe cient was used to calculate inter-reader and interoperator agreement, both including all test results and excluding paired invalid test results.…”

“…Further research is still needed on the usability and acceptability of HCVST in different populations and geographic regions to inform policy recommendations. To address this gap, FIND in collaboration with WHO has conducted a series of usability and acceptability studies among different populations in China, Egypt [31], Kenya, Malaysia, Rwanda, Pakistan and Vietnam [32]. In this study in Georgia, we sought to assess the usability and acceptability of oral-based HCVST among PWID and MSM/transgender people (TG).…”

Hepatitis C Diagnosis: Simplified Solutions, Predictive Barriers, and Future Promises

“…A large number of studies are going to be conducted in different countries to assess the usability and acceptability of HCV self-testing supported by FIND and using a testing platform donated by OraSure. Recently, an observational study was conducted in Vietnam to assess the acceptability and usability of the OraQuick ® HCV Self-Test (prototype) among PWIDs and MSM [ 90 ]. The study findings revealed overall high acceptability of HCVST with moderate to high usability among PWIDs (92.9%) and MSM (98.6%) in tested individuals.…”

“…The study emphasizes enhancing support and assistance to optimize the acceptability and accelerated performance of HCVST in marginal populations (e.g., PWIDs, MSM, sex workers, homeless shelters, etc.) and for elderly people with low literacy or education levels [ 90 ].…”