The Importance of Routine HCV Testing in Medication-Assisted Treatment

DNP Prospectus
The Importance of Routine HCV Testing
In Medication Assisted Treatment
Student Name
Name of program – Name of specialization
A00000000
Prospectus: The Importance of Routine HCV Testing in Medication-Assisted Treatment
Problem Statement
The most prevalent blood-borne infection in the United States, surpassing HIV as the nation's leading cause of death, is HCV. As of 2016, approximately 3 million Americans are inflicted with HCV. There is a prevalence of HCV in 35-65% of at-risk-populations, specifically those who inoculate drugs (Frimpong & D'Aunno, 2016).
HCV testing is one of the most highly recommended diagnostic tools for individuals who have used or continue to use illegal drugs, even more so for those who consumed drugs by injective themselves with these substances. However, despite HCV testing's utility, it is not included in the core missions of substance use disorder treatment programs, and worse, those institutions that do offer HCV testing do not adhere to the best practices (Frimpong & D'Aunno, 2016).
Medicated assisted treatment is one of the core features of substance use disorder treatment programs. Medicated assisted treatment is treating drug addiction problems using FDA-approved medications, such as naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone. While a wealth of research has suggested and established the safety of these medications (Timko et al., 2016), little to no notice has been paid to integrating HCV testing in the treatment process.
Practice-Focused Question(s)
In order to attain the objectives of this research, some of the Practice-focused Questions are:
1 How can HCV testing be integrated into standard medicated assisted treatment practice?
2 What are the best practices for HCV testing?
3 What specifically can nurses and nursing improve and integrate HCV testing in the medicated assisted treatment setting?
Social Change
The right to physical and mental health is a human right provided in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights. As a fundamental human right that everyone should enjoy, it embodies every person's right to accessible and quality healthcare.
The rampant nature of HCV cannot be ignored. Over the past 17 years, the mortality from the HCV infection has increased at an alarming rate, exceeding HIV as a cause of death in the United States. HCV is most commonly transmitted through drug use by injections (Norton, Akiyama, Zamor & Litwin, 2018). To better improve substance use reform and treatment programs, routine HCV testing must be applied in medicated assisted treatments.
Two birds are struck by one stone—both HCV testing and drug user rehabilitation by integrating a critical assessment tool in substance use treatment practices. On the one hand, this would fulfill the right pursuant, and essential to, the right to health under Art. 12 of the ICESCR. On the other hand, this can also lead to an addition to the pool of knowledge with regards to the implementation or Routine HEP C testing for the MAT Patients.
The Context for the Doctoral Project
The context for this doctoral project will be mainly centered on the integration of HCV testing in medicated ass...