Risk assessment questionaire to assist screening for HCV infection

Background: The estimated number of individuals infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is 123 million worldwide, however significant portion of cases are undiagnosed. Purpose: Our aim was to develope and validate a very sensitive questionnaire for identifying individuals with HCV infection in high risk groups. Methods: We created a (14-item) questionnaire consisting of 14 questions asking gravity based questions. For validation pourposes 150 confirmed HCV-negative (blood-donors, healthcare workers, cardiological patients) and 150 HCV-positive individuals completed the questionnaire. At first sensitivity and speci…