Hep C Community Navigation Model and Toolkit
Improving Care for People Who Use Drugs and Other Impacted Populations
Hepatitis C Community Navigation Model and Toolkit
Check out the launch of NASTAD’s Hepatitis C Community Navigation Toolkit and the virtual training that provides a detailed overview about how the toolkit can be practically applied to implement and strengthen hepatitis navigation programs. This was an interactive virtual experience with our colleagues at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who explored lessons learned from the field, best practices, and how to make meaningful connections to navigate and get individuals linked to a hepatitis C cure.
Presentation Slides
Introduction
The Hep C Community Navigation Model and Toolkit consists of program protocols, data collection tools, and patient education materials used in the hepatitis C patient navigation programs developed by the NYC Health Department. The toolkit guides patient and peer navigators to: conduct targeted outreach to priority populations; provide harm reduction services, plain language health promotion, appointment accompaniments, medical interpretation, and referrals to health insurance and supportive services; and support patients throughout treatment. The tools and templates offered can be tailored to the unique health care environment in different jurisdictions.
The toolkit is the product of eight years of iterative development of the NYC Health Department’s hepatitis C patient and peer navigation programs. These resources were used and refined by more than 170 patient and peer navigators at 37 organizations, serving over 15,000 people at high risk for or living with hepatitis C.
This toolkit was funded by the 2018 ‘Gilead Sciences – INHSU Models of Care to Enhance HCV care in PWID - Innovation Award’. This funding was provided to NASTAD to support the NYC Health Department to produce, disseminate and evaluate a toolkit to share their "Hepatitis C Community Navigation Model," which was recognized as an innovative model of care at the 2017 International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) conference. This award program has been developed by Gilead Sciences Europe Limited and the International Network on Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU), working together. The program is funded by Gilead. Gilead has not had any involvement in the selection of award applicants, the assessment of award winners or any influence on the outcomes of this project.
NASTAD and the NYC Health Department thank the many patients, navigators and staff who contributed to the creation of this toolkit.
For questions about the toolkit or guidance on implementation, email hepatitis@nastad.org. If you work in a health department, you can submit a technical assistance request to NASTAD's Hepatitis Technical Assistance Center (HepTAC).