Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over one billion people worldwide. Over half of NTDs primarily affect the skin and are known as “skin NTDs”. Several recent initiatives have aimed to teach frontline healthcare workers to identify and manage these conditions. However, the content and quality of existing training materials have not been analyzed, leaving gaps unclear. This scoping review evaluates skin NTD training materials to identify priorities for resource development. Training materials for frontline healthcare workers available via the InfoNTD, OpenWHO, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention platforms were reviewed for content, year, target audience, region of focus, languages, format, and quality. Grey literature search was also conducted to include resources not indexed in the above platforms. Of 372 available resources, 114 met study criteria. These included online courses, manuals, web pages, videos, mobile apps, podcasts, articles, booklets, games, slides, and databases. Most resources (82%) discussed one NTD rather than multiple diseases. Diagnosis, treatment, complications, and follow-up were included in 78%, 90%, 57%, and 30% of resources respectively. Discussions of complications and follow-up were frequently limited. No materials addressed follow-up of tungiasis. Almost one third of materials (32%) did not include images, and 75% did not include interactive features. Most resources (71%) were exclusively available in English. In summary, substantial gaps in skin NTD training materials were identified. Enhancing resources with comprehensive information on complications and follow-up, high-quality images, interactive elements, and translation for distribution in NTD-endemic areas is needed to strengthen training efforts and improve patient outcomes.
BT - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology C1 -
DO - 10.1093/ced/llaf214 LA - eng M3 - Scoping Review N2 -
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect over one billion people worldwide. Over half of NTDs primarily affect the skin and are known as “skin NTDs”. Several recent initiatives have aimed to teach frontline healthcare workers to identify and manage these conditions. However, the content and quality of existing training materials have not been analyzed, leaving gaps unclear. This scoping review evaluates skin NTD training materials to identify priorities for resource development. Training materials for frontline healthcare workers available via the InfoNTD, OpenWHO, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention platforms were reviewed for content, year, target audience, region of focus, languages, format, and quality. Grey literature search was also conducted to include resources not indexed in the above platforms. Of 372 available resources, 114 met study criteria. These included online courses, manuals, web pages, videos, mobile apps, podcasts, articles, booklets, games, slides, and databases. Most resources (82%) discussed one NTD rather than multiple diseases. Diagnosis, treatment, complications, and follow-up were included in 78%, 90%, 57%, and 30% of resources respectively. Discussions of complications and follow-up were frequently limited. No materials addressed follow-up of tungiasis. Almost one third of materials (32%) did not include images, and 75% did not include interactive features. Most resources (71%) were exclusively available in English. In summary, substantial gaps in skin NTD training materials were identified. Enhancing resources with comprehensive information on complications and follow-up, high-quality images, interactive elements, and translation for distribution in NTD-endemic areas is needed to strengthen training efforts and improve patient outcomes.
PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) PY - 2025 T2 - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology TI - Training Resources for Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases: Coverage, Quality, and Gaps – A Scoping Review UR - https://academic.oup.com/ced/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ced/llaf214/8164532#google_vignette SN - 0307-6938, 1365-2230 ER -