Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32532244›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2020

Is leishmaniasis adequately notified in Sri Lanka? A survey among doctors from an endemic district, Sri Lanka.

Chandana Hewawasam, Hema S Weerakoon, Vyshnavi Thilakan, Tishni Lelwala, Kalana Prasanka, A S Rathnayaka, Shanika Gamage, Suneth Agampodi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Peptides to Tackle Leishmaniasis: Current Status and Future Directions.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Chandana HewawasamDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka. chandanahewawasm@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9032-912X
Hema S WeerakoonMedical Officer/Public Health, Office of the Provincial Director of Health Services, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
Vyshnavi ThilakanDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
Tishni LelwalaDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
Kalana PrasankaDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
A S RathnayakaOffice of the Regional Director of Health Services, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
Shanika GamageDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
Suneth AgampodiDepartment of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Rajarata University, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka · LK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLeishmaniasis is a notifiable disease in Sri Lanka since 2008. Previous studies show a gap in the notification of leishmaniasis. The purpose of the present study was to determine the Knowledge, attitudes and practice of medical officers regarding leishmaniasis.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Anuradhapura district which reported the highest case load of leishmaniasis. Medical officers from public and private health care institutes in the area filled a self-administered questionnaire in the presence of the investigators.

resultsOne hundred and eighty-eight (188) medical officers completed the questionnaire. Of them, 95.7% were aware of leishmaniasis as a parasitic infection and 84.7% correctly identified Leishmania donovani as the causative organism in Sri Lanka. From the respondents, 181 (96.8%) knew that the vector of leishmaniasis is sand fly. Cutaneous leishmaniasis was reported as the most prevalent form of leishmaniasis in the country by 176 (94.1%). Nearly half of the respondents (98, 54.1%) were aware of the fact that the Anuradhapura district has the highest disease burden. Many of them had the idea that leishmaniasis is an emerging disease (155, 84.3%,) and early diagnosis is important in controlling the disease (163, 89.1%). Although about three fourth (123, 73.7%,) of the participants mentioned that leishmaniasis should be notified at first clinical suspicion, only 74 (42.5%) were aware that it is a legal requirement. Some medical officers (39, 22%) believed that the current notification system in the country is not effective. Unavailability of notification forms (60, 36.8%) heavy workload (85, 50.3%) and inadequate supportive staff (55, 35.1%) were reported as barriers for timely notification. Even though 105 (58.0%) of medical officers had suspected leishmaniasis during the last 8 years period only 35 (19.4%) had notified.

conclusionsEven though more than 90% of the participants had good theoretical knowledge about leishmaniasis; notification of leishmaniasis is considerably inadequate. This study emphasizes the need for greater efforts to improve the notification of leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka.

Indexed as

Disease NotificationLeishmania donovaniAdultAnimalsCross-Sectional StudiesDisease VectorsFemaleHumansLeishmaniasis, CutaneousMaleMiddle AgedPhysiciansPractice Patterns, Physicians'PrevalencePsychodidaeSri LankaAttitudeKnowledgeLeishmaniasisNotificationPhysiciansPracticeSri Lanka

Identifiers

PMID32532244
PMCPMC7290071
OpenAlexW3034184278

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.