Emergency-department tool to detect Hepatitis C
Official title: Assessing performance of a Hepatitis C Emergency Department (HepC-END) Screening Tool
Funded at University of Florida · NIH-11143909 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An AI-guided screening tool will be used in emergency departments to help find adults with undiagnosed Hepatitis C, especially people who inject drugs or have HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $664,679 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA057886-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143909 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) presenting to participating emergency departments, particularly those with risk factors like injection drug use or known HIV infection, are the ideal candidates for this screening approach.
✕Less likely to help
Children, people not visiting participating emergency departments, and individuals already diagnosed and cured of Hepatitis C are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you visit a participating emergency department, the project will use routine clinical information and algorithmic risk rules to flag adults who might have undiagnosed Hepatitis C. The team will develop and implement a tailored screening tool that combines electronic health record data and AI-based algorithms to identify people at higher risk. Flagged patients would be offered HCV testing in the ED, and positive results would be linked to follow-up care and antiviral treatment. The study will compare this targeted approach to existing screening methods to see if it finds more infections sustainably.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could find more people with hidden Hepatitis C earlier and connect them to curative antiviral treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Other emergency-department HCV screening programs have identified previously unrecognized infections, but using an AI-tailored screening tool in this way is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Haesuk — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Park, Haesuk
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.