Study designs of evaluations included in the review
All study designs were eligible for inclusion.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies where the intervention was knowledge of HCV status were eligible for inclusion.
Reference standard test against which the new test was compared
The review did not include any diagnostic accuracy studies that compared the performance of the index test with a reference standard of diagnosis.
Participants included in the review
Individuals who knew their HCV status to be positive or negative, or who did not know their HCV status, were eligible for inclusion. The included studies were of drug-users, mainly injecting drug users (IDUs). Individuals were recruited to the studies through drug treatment services, prison and through community outreach. The included studies were conducted in England, France, Greece and the USA.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies that investigated any behaviour associated with the risk of HCV transmission were eligible for inclusion. The included studies assessed drug- and sex-related behaviours.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
One researched assessed references and abstracts for relevance.