Delayed Consultation Among Tuberculosis Patients in Ethiopia
Author Information
Author(s): Mesfin Mengiste, Newell James N, Walley John D, Gessessew Amanuel, Madeley Richard J
Primary Institution: Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds
Hypothesis
What are the patterns of health-seeking behavior and risk factors for delayed consultation among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Ethiopia?
Conclusion
Nearly half of pulmonary tuberculosis patients delayed seeking health care at a public health facility while getting treatment from informal sources.
Supporting Evidence
- 53% of patients delayed their first consultation for 30 days or longer.
- The median patient delay was 30 days, with a mean of 60 days.
- Patients who used informal treatment had a median delay of 31 days.
Takeaway
Many people with tuberculosis in Ethiopia wait a long time to see a doctor because they try other treatments first, like holy water or private doctors.
Methodology
The study recruited new pulmonary TB patients aged 15 and older from 18 diagnostic centers and assessed their health-seeking behavior and delays in consultation.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from patients' inability to accurately recall the date of symptom onset.
Limitations
The study may have misdiagnosed some patients due to low specificity of diagnostic methods and reliance on patients' recall of symptom onset.
Participant Demographics
The median age of participants was 34 years, with 45% female and 49% rural residents.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI (50%, 56%)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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