This program provides an excellent opportunity to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of the operator training with regard to knowledge improvement, practical competency and professional conduct for performing point-of-care testing for HCV infection within the National HCV POCT Program. This data will be useful in the assessment of training effectiveness across different trainee occupations and will be used in the continual quality improvement of training programs for scale-up of point-of-care testing.

Standardised operator training is delivered remotely for Xpert HCV Viral Load Fingerstick point-of-care testing. In evaluation of training delivered, operators are enrolled in a longitudinal observational study and completed a self-assessed competency survey utilising 5-point Likert scales at all stages of training. Surveys will be conducted across all stages of training, from an initial screening survey to 6-months post implementation. Point-of-care competence will be ranked as below average (score ≤2 of 5) and “confident and competent” (score >3). A significant change in competency was assessed using McNemar’s test for paired binomial data. Unsuccessful HCV tests (error/invalid/no result) were also assessed for the defined period.