Table 2.
Baseline comparison of intervention and control groups at cluster and individual levels.
| Characteristic | Intervention | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Practice factors at baseline | (n = 13) | (n = 12) |
| Area of practice | ||
| A | 5 | 7 |
| B | 7 | 3 |
| C | 1 | 2 |
| Single practitioner | ||
| Yes | 6 | 6 |
| No | 7 | 6 |
| Number of patients on methadone | ||
| <15 | 6 | 5 |
| ≥15 | 7 | 7 |
| Type of clinical record | ||
| Paper | 3 | 4 |
| Electronic | 1 | 2 |
| Combination | 9 | 6 |
| Preferred hepatology unit for referral | ||
| D | 5 | 7 |
| E | 1 | 2 |
| F | 4 | 2 |
| G | 3 | 1 |
| Patient factors at baseline | (n = 104) | (n = 92) |
| Mean age (years) | 33.1 | 31.8 |
| Mean time attending practice for methadone treatment (months) | 33.2 | 27.8 |
| Mean age of first using drugs (years) | 17.1 | 16.9 |
| Mean age of first injecting (years) | 20.0 | 19.9 |
| Male, n (%) | 84/104 (81) | 58/92 (63) |
| Provided urine sample containing metabolite of any illicit drug in the previous 3 months (%) | 57/104 (55) | 42/92 (46) |
| Provided urine sample containing opiate metabolite in the previous 3 months (%) | 35/104 (34) | 25/92 (27) |
| Screened for hepatitis C by GP (%) | 35/104 (34) | 24/92 (26) |
| Referral initiated if HCV antibody positive (%) | 20/67 (30) | 11/37 (30) |
| Attended specialist clinic if HCV antibody positive (%) | 16/67 (24) | 8/37 (22) |