The HCV Sicily Network: A web-based model for the management of HCV chronic liver diseases

Objective: Epidemiological studies report that in Sicily reside about 30,000 citizens with a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis due to HCV. The availability of direct antiviral action (DAA) is a real therapeutic breakthrough, but the high cost of the therapeutic regimes limits their use and forced the National Health System to establish clinical priority for the treatment. Materials and Methods: The HCV Sicily Network is a web-based model of best medical practice, which was designed to improve the management and the treatment of HCV chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The network includes 41 centers and 84 gastroenterologists or infectivologists connected by a web platform that recorder the diagnosis and the clinic priority for the therapy. Results: From March 2015 to September 2016, 9,965 patients (57% male, mean age 61 years, 34% with age over 70 years) have been recorded in the web platform, 3,319 patients completed the treatment, and 1,754 completed the 12 weeks of follow-up. The Sustained Virological Response (SVR) was achieved in 1,541 patients (87.8%), while 136 patients (7.7%) 77 patients (4.5%) experienced a virological relapse during the 12 weeks of follow-up. Conclusions: The HCV Sicily Network is an excellent system for the Regional Department of Health that can have a real estimation of patients that received an efficacy, but high-cost therapy.