摘要：The advent of the new interferon-free direct acting antivirals represents a revolutionary
stage in the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection. Treatment with
direct acting antivirals is limited in several countries due to high costs. There is a strategy
for prioritizing patients with advanced liver fi brosis in order to control HCV-related health
expenditure. HCV infected patients have also a social burden due to the patient’s knowledge
of what the disease implies: chronicity and dependence on health-care institutions and
natural progression to liver cirrhosis and death. In this study we aimed to highlight the
perception of untreated patients with HCV on the healthcare system and professionals
involved in care or therapy as well as the social impact on this particular category.
We included 140 patients with chronic HCV infection which were investigated using
a designed satisfaction survey that consisted of 13 questions. Our study highlights that
patients with chronic HCV infection have a signifi cant degree of impairment in quality
of life The majority of the study lot consider that the delay in receiving viral treatment is
also an economic burden on the healthcare system due to frequent visits to the physician
and hospitalizations needed for the periodical evaluation of their liver disease progression.
