by Herazo R, Torres-Torres F, Gómez Mantilla CA, Pérez Carillo L, Cuervo A, Medina Camargo MA, Moreno JF, Forsyth C, Vera MJ, Caicedo Díaz RA, Marchiol A. Acta Tropica 2022; 226,106219. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106219
Summary: Colombia has one of the largest burdens of Chagas disease globally and yet less than 1% of the population has had access to diagnosis and treatment. A patient-centred roadmap, developed to address access barriers and increase diagnostic and therapeutic coverage, was implemented in five municipalities endemic for Chagas disease. Following implementation, the mean number of people tested per year increased from 37 to 262, the average delay between medical order and diagnostic confirmation results decreased from 258 to 19 days, and the mean time from diagnostic confirmation to treatment initiation decreased from 354 to 135 days. The creation and implementation of this patient-centered roadmap addressed access barriers in specific contexts, helping to reduce the invisibility and burden of Chagas disease.
