Healthcare seeking behavior and delays in case of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis patients in Bangladesh

Findings from a cross-sectional survey

Bibliographic Data

ID19593117
AuthorsMd Zulqarnine Ibne Noman (0000-0002-3720-3974, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, corresponding author), Shariful Islam (0000-0001-9226-2718, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, corresponding author), Shaki Aktar (0000-0002-8168-9721, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, corresponding author), Ateeb Ahmad Parray (0000-0002-1653-1856, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author), Dennis G Amando (0000-0001-7621-7685, BRAC University, corresponding author), Jyoti Karki (0000-0002-6748-7680, BRAC University, corresponding author), Zafria Atsna (0000-0002-1382-985X, BRAC University, corresponding author), Dipak Kumar Mitra (0000-0001-8680-4146, North South University, corresponding author), Shaikh A Shahed Hossain (0000-0002-4092-7455, BRAC University, corresponding author)
EditorsSadia Shakoor (0000-0003-1301-5239)
Year2024
Volume4
Issue1
Pagese0001903
Publication date2024-01-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001903
PMID38266032
OpenAlexW4391164900
LanguageEN
References cited38

The emergence of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) has become a major threat globally and Bangladesh is no exception. Delays in healthcare seeking, proper diagnosis and initiation of treatment cause continuous transmission of the resistant tubercule bacilli through the communities. This study aimed to assess the different health care-seeking behaviors and delays among DR-TB patients in Bangladesh. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2018, among 92 culture positive and registered DR-TB patients in four selected hospitals in Bangladesh. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with survey questionnaire as well as record reviews. Among the 92 study participants, the median patient delay was 7 (IQR 3, 15) days, the median diagnostic delay was 88 (IQR 36.5, 210), the median treatment delay was 7 (IQR 4,12) days, and the median total delay among DR-TB patients was 108.5 (IQR 57.5, 238) days. 81.32% sought initial care from informal healthcare providers. The majority (68.48%) of the informal healthcare providers were drug sellers while 60.87% of patients sought care from more than four healthcare points before being diagnosed with DR-TB. The initial care seeking from multiple providers was associated with diagnostic and total delays. In Bangladesh, DR-TB cases usually seek care from multiple providers, particularly from informal providers, and among them, alarmingly higher healthcare-seeking related delays were noted. Immediate measures should be taken both at the health system levels and, in the community, to curb transmission and reduce the burden of the disease

Cross-sectional study · Environmental health · Family medicine · Health care · Tuberculosis · Medicine · Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment · Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology