A cross-sectional descriptive study to ascertain factors influencing delay in diagnosis among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients

Abstract

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease. The management, as well as the outcome, depends upon the early detection and diagnosis of the disease. Delay in diagnosis leads to worsening of the patient's condition as well as the emergence of multi-resistant bacilli. Objectives: The objectives were to know how many persons had diagnostic and treatment delays, as well as the factors that were linked to delayed care-seeking (patient delay) and diagnosis by health-care professionals (health-care system delay) among newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 115 diagnosed pulmonary TB patients was done. The time between the initial symptoms and the first encounter with a hospital institution was referred to as the patient's delay. The time between first contact with a health-care facility and diagnosis confirmation was referred to as the diagnostic delay. A cutoff threshold of 4 weeks was used to determine the diagnostic delay. A patient delay of more than 2 weeks and a health-care system delay exceeding 2 weeks were also evaluated. Results: In this study, 94 (81.7%), 69 (60%), and 100 (87%) subjects had patient, health system, and diagnostic delays, respectively. Conclusion: The majority of the participants in the study experienced a diagnostic delay, followed by patient and health-care system delays. The educational status, income status, distance to a health care facility, cost, initial consultation with the type of health-care personnel in the health-care system, and frequency of consultations were associated with the delays.

Keywords

• diagnostic delay
• health system delay
• patient delay
• tuberculosis