HIV testing in patients who are HCV positive: Compliance with CDC guidelines in a large healthcare system

Background: There are approximately 300,000 people in the United States who are co-infected with HIV and HCV. Several organizations recommend that individuals who are HCV infected, as well as persons over the age of 13, should be HIV tested. Comorbidities associated with HCV can be reduced with early identification of HIV. Our objective was to determine whether providers routinely followed HIV testing guidelines for patients who tested HCV positive (HCV+). Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients in primary care at an academic health system from 7/2015–3/2017 who tested HCV+. As part of a primary database, HCV testing data was collected; HIV testing data was abstracted manually. We collected and described the intervals between HCV and HIV tests. To determine associations with HIV testing univariable and multivariable analyses were performed. Results: We identified 445 patients who tested HCV+: 56.6% were tested for HIV, the mean age was 57 ± 10.9 years, 77% were from the Birth Cohort born 1945–1965 (BC); 61% were male; and 51% were Black/AA. Patients in the BC were more likely to be HIV tested if they were: male (p = 0.019), Black/AA (p