In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a groundbreaking new diagnostic testing tool for hepatitis C virus (HCV), the Cepheid Xpert® HCV VL Fingerstick. This new tool, which offers same-day, definitive detection of HCV RNA without the need for a blood draw, has the potential to increase HCV testing and linkage to treatment in communities that have been least reached by HCV prevention and treatment efforts, such as people who inject drugs and people who are experiencing homelessness. To leverage this new technology, the University of San Francisco’s (UCSF) DeLIVER Care Van—a mobile HCV testing, treatment, and liver care model—will pilot rapid HCV RNA testing in San Francisco to populations highly impacted by HCV beginning in 2025.
Facente Consulting was hired by DeLIVER to design and implement a multi-year evaluation focused on the rollout of rapid HCV RNA testing. We will collaborate closely with DeLIVER to (i) identify overarching evaluation questions, (ii) design and conduct interviews with DeLIVER staff before, during, and after program implementation, (iii) add questions related to clients’ experiences with the new HCV test to DeLIVER’s existing client satisfaction surveys, (iv) assess how implementation protocols change over time to adapt to program needs and lessons learned, and (v) analyze data from electronic medical records to evaluate program impact.