Playing the Numbers: How Hepatitis C Patients Use Their Medical Test Results.

The perspectives of hepatitis C patients are an important concern that has not been given much attention. Illness narratives from 307 individuals infected with hepatitis C were collected from the Internet and analyzed qualitatively. Hepatitis C patients are required to have periodic blood draws for laboratory testing. Lab results are presented numerically and compared with physicians? repertoires of experience and established biochemical standards. Treatment decisions are often measured against how well patient lab values match accepted standards. HCV patients? knowledge and interpretation of test results may have important consequences for their health behavior choices and their medical outcomes. In their stories, patients described decisions to begin, delay or stop treatment. Patients also explained changes in test results by referring to self management behaviors like diet, exercise, and alternative medicine approaches like vitamins and acupuncture. For those with hepatitis C, test results are powerful signifiers, capable of altering the course of their illness, their lives, and their stories. Patients are ?playing the numbers,? and making calculated decisions about their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]