Assessment of adherence to chronic hepatitis C treatment in Romania: an open, single center, prospective study

Background Peginterferon and ribavirin treatment has been the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C for a long time, but it has started to be replaced by newer therapeutic regimens, including direct-acting antivirals with better tolerability and higher efficacy rates. Despite the changing landscape of antiviral therapy, patient adherence remains essential to obtaining a sustained viral response. Methods We performed an open, single center, non-interventional prospective study, which included 78 adult patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon and ribavirin during 2012-2013 in Romania. The patients completed questionnaires at weeks 12, 24 and 48 of treatment, and at a follow-up at 48 weeks after the end of treatment. The following items were assessed: treatment adherence, patient's health, quality of life, adverse reactions, symptoms and treatment administration. Results From the 78 patients included in this study, at week 12 93.59% were still under treatment, 76.92% at week 24, and 70.51% at week 48. Patient counseling regarding treatment administration had an important impact on treatment adherence and specifically on finishing all 48 weeks of treatment, with 74.29% of the instructed patients versus 37.50% of non- or partially-instructed patients completing treatment, p