Hepatitis C Screening Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the Emergency Department: A Secondary Analysis of the Determining Effective Testing in Emergency Departments and Care Coordination on Treatment Outcomes (DETECT) for Hepatitis C (Hep C) Screening Trial

The authors aimed to investigate the relationship between homelessness and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening outcomes in emergency departments, specifically examining test offer, acceptance, seropositivity, and viremia. They found that individuals experiencing homelessness were more likely to accept nontargeted HCV screening and had higher rates of HCV seropositivity and viremia compared to housed individuals, indicating that nontargeted screening may be more effective for this population. The study highlights the potential of emergency departments to improve HCV detection among underserved groups like those experiencing homelessness.