# Hospital study: 35.9% of anti-HCV-positive patients had no confirmatory HCV-RNA test over five years

- Published: 2026-11-13 06:29 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: hepatitis C virus, anti-HCV testing, HCV-RNA confirmatory testing, care cascade, linkage to care, reflex testing, hospital alert systems, telephone re-engagement, viremia, antiviral treatment
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-d905513737d0ba39f3c287b4_hospital_study_35/

**A retrospective single-center study of 1,492 anti-HCV-positive patients found 536 without HCV-RNA testing; telephone outreach brought 42 back to the clinic.**

![Hospital study: 35.9% of anti-HCV-positive patients had no confirmatory HCV-RNA test over five years](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/b592d49c3b701086.jpg)
*Goleisureintl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

A retrospective single-center study of adults screened for hepatitis C antibodies between 31 October 2019 and 31 October 2024 found that more than a third of anti-HCV-positive patients never had a confirmatory HCV-RNA test, according to the paper published via doi.org [1]. Of 220,516 people screened, 1,492 were anti-HCV positive (0.68%; 95% CI, 0.64–0.71) [1]. The authors used the hospital information system to evaluate HCV-RNA results, treatment status, survival data and clinic distribution [1].

## Losses at the confirmatory testing stage

Among the 1,492 anti-HCV-positive patients, 406 were HCV-RNA positive (27.2%; 95% CI, 25.0–29.5) and 550 were HCV-RNA negative [1]. The other 536 had not undergone HCV-RNA testing (35.9%; 95% CI, 33.5–38.4) [1]. Surgical clinics accounted for the highest proportion of non-testing, 45.9% [1].

The authors report substantial losses in the hepatitis C care cascade, particularly at the confirmatory HCV-RNA testing stage [1]. They suggest that reflex HCV-RNA testing and automated hospital-based alert systems may help improve linkage to care [1].

## Telephone re-engagement of lost patients

Patients without HCV-RNA testing, and those who remained untreated despite a positive HCV-RNA result, were contacted by telephone and invited to the outpatient clinic [1]. Of 142 patients planned for outreach, 68 were reached (47.9%; 95% CI, 39.8–56.1), and 42 attended the clinic (29.6%; 95% CI, 22.7–37.5) [1].

HCV-RNA positivity was detected in 9 of those who attended, and all 9 initiated antiviral treatment [1]. The authors describe telephone-based re-engagement as feasible for reconnecting selected patients lost to follow-up, but note that its effectiveness requires confirmation in comparative studies [1].

The study design is retrospective and covers one center, so the figures describe this hospital's records. The authors also point to strategies that address healthcare access barriers among foreign-national patients as a possible way to reduce losses in the care cascade [1].

## Sources

1. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-026-05572-0)
2. [bioengineer.org](https://bioengineer.org/over-a-third-of-anti-hcv-positive-hospital-patients-missed-confirmatory-rna-testing)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-d905513737d0ba39f3c287b4_hospital_study_35/