Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommendations for Hepatitis C Testing: The Need to Adopt Universal Screening in an Appalachian Emergency Department

Background The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends screening baby boomers and high‐risk patients for hepatitis C virus (HCV); however, the incidence of HCV is rapidly increasing among younger populations, and screening is limited by access to care and risk factor assessment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate characteristics of HCV antibody‐positive (Ab+) and ribonucleic acid (RNA)‐confirmed‐positive patients identified via two screening models in an Appalachian emergency department (ED). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who screened HCV Ab+ in the ED from January 1 to October 31, 2018. Data were extracted, and comparative analyses were conducted between the risk‐based and the universal screening models. Results Overall, 444 patients screened HCV Ab+, with a median age of 39 years. From January to May 2018, the risk factor model identified 126 HCV Ab+ patients out of 3,014 screened (4%), whereas from June to October 2018, the universal model identified 318 HCV Ab+ patients out of 5,407 screened (6%; p