Considerations for service providers

Key points

Hepatitis C counselling offers support to people as they move through the testing process, regardless of their testing result.
Engaging in hepatitis C testing can be a helpful way for people to enter the health environment and be linked with other services, such as harm reduction, social services, primary health care, housing and mental health services.
Following a diagnosis of hepatitis C, a person should be referred to and provided information about hepatitis C care and treatment.

Supporting people through the testing process

The primary goal of hepatitis C counselling is to offer support to people as they move through the testing process, regardless of their test result. Through counselling and education, frontline workers can provide:

an informed consent process
information about hepatitis C, such as prevention, treatment and liver care
emotional support to prepare for test results
encouragement to return for test results
referrals to healthcare and other services in the community

What happens following a hepatitis C diagnosis?

Linkage to care

Following a diagnosis of hepatitis C, a person should be referred to and provided information about hepatitis C care and treatment. Beyond this, engaging in hepatitis C testing can be a helpful way for people to enter the health environment and be linked with other services, such as harm reduction, social services, primary health care, housing and mental health services.

People who test negative but may continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis C should be offered information and resources about preventing hepatitis C infection and reinfection, including linkage to harm reduction services and repeat testing.

Public health reporting

Across Canada, positive hepatitis C antibody and confirmatory test results must be reported to the provincial or territorial public health authority. The information provided to public health officials is confidential, as is all medical information.

The amount and type of information collected and reported to public health depends on the province or territory where the test happens. However, all provinces and territories provide non-identifying data on positive hepatitis C test results to the Public Health Agency of Canada for national-level reporting on hepatitis C in Canada.

Contact tracing

Contact tracing and notification is the practice of identifying, locating and informing someone that they may have been exposed to hepatitis C.

When someone has a newly identified hepatitis C infection, a public health nurse or other health care provider may work with them to identify any contacts who may have been exposed to hepatitis C. Depending on local practices and capacity, the individual may be asked to inform their contacts themselves, or a public health nurse or other healthcare provider may also attempt to notify contacts and encourage them to test for hepatitis C.

Resources for service providers