title: Overcoming research barriers in Chagas disease-designing effective implementation science.
abstract: Chagas disease is a complex tropical parasitic infection. It affects a significant portion of the population in Latin America, especially in areas of poverty and poor access to health care. It also affects immigrants in high-income countries who lack access to health care due to their legal status. Millions of people are at risk of contracting the disease, and approximately 30 % of chronically infected patients will develop cardiomyopathy. The cost of caring for patients that have been infected is substantial. Basic science research has introduced new concepts and knowledge for the parasite and vector biology as well as better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. These research findings nevertheless require effective and timely translation into clinical practice. Likewise, the design of new research projects should account for the multiple system-based barriers. Implementation science facilitates the applicability of research findings and identifies barriers to its execution. Creation of implementation science measures to reach and sustain research programs with greater potential to impact Chagas disease are lacking. This point of view proposes opportunities for implementation science in Chagas disease and strategies for researching effective interventions for preventing and treating the disease.
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Mail Stop B168, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. andres.henaomartinez@ucdenver.edu.
authors: Andrés F
authors: AF
authors: Henao-Martínez
authors: Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors: Kathryn
authors: K
authors: Colborn
authors: Red Chagas Colombia, Centro de Investigación en Salud para el Trópico (CIST), UCC, Santa Marta, Colombia.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Parra-Henao
mesh_terms: D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Chagas; Health policies; Implementation science