Study on the Prevalence of Hepatitis C In a psychiatRic Population

Viral hepatitis, especially hepatitis C, is a major public health issue. Nowadays, very few studies in France have evaluated the prevalence of hepatitis C in a psychiatric environment. In 2019, at the time of new treatments for HCV, it therefore seems essential to update the available data by estimating the prevalence of chronic active hepatitis C in psychiatric population. In addition to an update of epidemiological data, it is of high importance to assess the effectiveness of the care pathway for patients in whom chronic active hepatitis C is diagnosed, including the cascade of care, currently too inefficient despite treatments that are themselves ultra-efficient. Indeed, it is essential that once hepatitis is detected, it is formally diagnosed, then that the patient actually starts care and is adherent to treatment (take his treatment according to the prescription and until the end: this implies that the patient accepts his or her illness and understands the value of the prescribed treatments), to hope to cure the infection. In this context, the SaPHIR study will allow to test a systematic screening of patients in an adult psychiatric environment, through rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). The objective is to promote the adherence of patients, and to assess possible obstacles in order to optimize the screening (RDTs), diagnosis (confirmation of only positive RDTs by venous sampling) and care management circuits in routine practice. In addition, the study envisages a combined HCV-HBV-HIV screening, taking into account the cross-infection risk (same mode of contamination, same risk population, frequent co-infections, more severe liver pathology in case of co-infection, etc.), thus making it possible to take care of the patient as a whole. The results of the SaPHIR study can ultimately be sent to the French health authorities to improve screening and care circuits, and their coverage by social security.