Effectiveness of the Educational-Supportive Program to Improve the Quality of Life Among Patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV): A Quasi-Experimental Study

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection reduces its victims' quality of life (QoL). Generally, hepatitis-C patients seem to face decreased social, family, and friends support and a social phobia that lowers their QoL and emotional state. There is a need to pay special attention to hepatitis-C patients' emotional and social needs.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of social support, family, and education on the quality of life of hepatitis drug users.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 144 male drug users (72 people in each intervention and control group) with hepatitis C referring to two Drop-in Centers covered by the Welfare Organization in Isfahan, Iran, in 2017 - 2018. Convenience sampling was used in this study, and the sample size was determined to be 72 subjects in both groups, and through tossing a coin, drop-in-center no. 1 was selected as the intervention group and the drop-in-center no. 2 as the control group. Those in the intervention group were divided into six 12-person groups and were invited to participate in a supportive-educational program with a family member. A self-administered questionnaire measuring demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, the status of hepatitis C, and SF-36 for determining the QoL was completed by participants in both intervention and control groups before and after the intervention.

The mean QoL score and changes in this score during the three times of measurements were significantly different between the two groups. However, after the intervention, the mean total QoL score in the intervention group (71.32 (16.15)) was significantly higher than the control group (48.22 (25.81)) (P < 0.05).

Educational programs with a strong emphasis on family support and companionship can improve some dimensions of the QoL in patients with HCV.