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HCET Home > On-line Training > Addressing Hepatitis in Women > 1. Integrating Hepatitis Testing and Counseling into Family Planning Services
1. Integrating Hepatitis Testing and Counseling into Family Planning ServicesIntegrating hepatitis testing and counseling into a family planning visit will be much more successful with careful planning and consideration of all aspects of integration. This section will review steps towards integration that were identified by working closely with clinics that have already integrated hepatitis prevention.
The following pieces must be considered before integrating Hepatitis into family planning services (2)(3):
- Staff Training
- Paperwork
- Testing
- Updated Clinic Environment
- Barriers to Integration
- Staff Training - essential for a smooth transition into providing hepatitis services.
Training in all of the following areas is recommended:
- Transmission of viral hepatitis
- Prevention of viral hepatitis
- Available vaccines and when they are indicated
- Counseling for viral hepatitis
- Substance abuse history taking
- Sexual history taking
- Testing and reporting test results
- Treatment of chronic infection
- Medical referrals
- Coinfection with HIV
- Paperwork
- Will new paperwork need to be developed or acquired?
- What staff is going to be responsible for filling out paperwork regarding hepatitis testing, counseling, and reporting?
- How much time is needed to train staff to fill out the paperwork?
- Testing
- What staff is able to draw blood or will training be required?
- Where will the testing occur? Is space available or will it need to be acquired?
- What money (as well as staff time, supplies, shipping and processing) is available for testing?
- Updated Clinic Environment
- Is there money available to purchase Hepatitis brochures and posters for the clinic? Or, will you utilize sources (CDC, etc) for free materials?
- Is there space to place the posters and educational materials?
- Barriers to Integration (2)
In 2001, HCET interviewed clinicians and clients in order to identify their experiences and concerns with hepatitis integration in their clinics.The following barriers were identified from the viral hepatitis needs assessment for Region V and VII in 2001. Fifty percent of the respondents reported lack of funding as the main reason for not integrating hepatitis into clinic services. Lack of time with clients was cited as the main reason by over 40% of the clinics.
The entire list of barriers includes:
- Funding
- Lack of time with client
- Lack of client knowledge
- No set policy in place
- Inadequate tracking system
- Lack of knowledge
- Testing not available
- Hepatitis A vaccine not available
- Not an agency priority
- Language/Culture
- No client education materials
- No provider referrals in place
- Hepatitis B vaccine not available
