02158nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260002300042653002100065653002500086653001300111653002500124653001200149100001900161700001500180700002500195700002500220700001200245700002100257245011700278856008700395300000900482490000700491520136900498022002501867       2024                            d  bInforma UK Limited10aDiagnostic delay10aHealth professionals10aColombia10aQualitative Research10aLeprosy1 aDuighuisen HNW1 aFastenau A1 aEslava Albarracin DG1 aOrtuño-Gutiérrez N1 aPenna S1 aKamenshchikova A00aScrutinising delay in leprosy diagnosis in Colombia: perceptions and experiences by leprosy health professionals  uhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/17441692.2024.2354777?needAccess=true  a1-130 v193 a<p>Leprosy is an infectious neglected tropical disease, which can cause irreversible disabilities if not diagnosed in time. Colombia continues to show high rates of leprosy-related disability, mainly due to a delay in diagnosis. Limited knowledge is available that explains this delay, therefore our study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of leprosy health professionals with the delay in leprosy diagnosis in the Cesar and Valle del Cauca departments, Colombia. Nine semi-structured expert interviews with leprosy health professionals were conducted in May-June 2023 in Colombia. Thematic analysis was performed to analyse the interview results. Our analysis highlighted that the main reasons for delay at the health system-level included accessibility issues to obtain a diagnosis, lack of expertise by health staff, and barriers related to the organisation of the care pathway. Individual – and community-level factors included a lack of leprosy awareness among the general population and leprosy-related stigma. Diagnostic delay consists of a fluid interplay of various factors. Structural changes within the health system, such as organising integral leprosy care centres and highlighting leprosy in the medical curriculum, as well as awareness-related interventions among the general population, might help reducing diagnostic delays.</p>
  a1744-1692, 1744-1706