Short video in Spanish describing how to collect, store and ship to the laboratory, dried blood spot (DBS) samples for hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing. With proper training of the staff involved, DBS samples can be collected outside the healthcare setting, thus facilitating access to diagnosis of hepatitis C by the most vulnerable populations who attend different centers in the community. With our experience in detecting HCV RNA from DBS samples since 2015, we have produced an explanatory video and a booklet with step-by-step instructions on how to obtain good quality DBS samples for laboratory HCV testing. DBS samples not only allow us to improve the diagnosis rate of viremic HCV infection, but also to monitor the elimination of hepatitis C. Within the following website you can see the publications of different studies that we have carried out using DBS, which have also helped us to characterize the HCV epidemic at the local level. https://www.researchgate.net/project/Development-and-assessment-of-alternative-testing-strategies-for-the-detection-of-active-hepatitis-C-virus-infection-among-vulnerable-groups-at-risk-and-micro-elimination/update/61011c48647f3906fc8c31b8

For examples on studies in which this DBS collection method was used to offer HCV testing to several vulnerable populations, you can visit this website featuring related publications (articles and abstracts presented at conferences): https://www.researchgate.net/project/Development-and-assessment-of-alternative-testing-strategies-for-the-detection-of-active-hepatitis-C-virus-infection-among-vulnerable-groups-at-risk-and-micro-elimination