Supehia S, Singh M, Bahurupi Y, Aggarwal P, Chandra R, Sharma N. The Extent of Delay in Diagnosis, Treatment and their Associated Factors among Tuberculosis Patients Attending Government Hospitals of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Recent Adv Antiinfect Drug Discov 2024;
19:137-147. [PMID:
37198982 DOI:
10.2174/2772434418666230517151828]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
"Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem" worldwide, affecting almost all age groups. "Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential to significantly reducing the TB burden." However, a significant proportion of cases remain undiagnosed and untreated, which plays a vital role in the transmission of the disease and severity of the illness in the community in most developing countries.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to assess "the extent of delay in diagnosis and treatment of TB patients" and to identify the major factors associated with such delays (whether patient or health system-related) among TB patients in Rishikesh.
METHODS
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Rishikesh Town, Dehradun District, Uttara khand, India. Total of 130 newly diagnosed TB patients were recruited as study participants who attended the government hospitals of Rishikesh, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh and S P S Government Hospital, Rishikesh. A universal sampling technique was used in this study.
RESULTS
The mean age of the study participant was 36.75 (Standard Deviation (SD), 17.6), and the median age was 34 years. Of the patients, 64.6% were men, and 35.4% were women. The extent of various delays, such as patient delay (median 16 days), diagnostic delay (median 78.5 days), treatment delay (median 4 days), health system delay (43 days), and total delay (median 81 days).
CONCLUSION
The misconception of any chronic disease may lead to a false diagnosis or long treatment for symptomatic relief; the absence of proper diagnostic tests and doctor shopping could be the reasons for the prolonged diagnostic delay. Therefore, by strengthening the collaboration between private and public practitioners in order to meet the expectations of the Government of India to achieve the goals of the "National Strategic Plan for ending TB" in India by providing good quality care for all patients.
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