Health-seeking pathway of drug-resistant TB patients in Vadodara, India.

BACKGROUND: Health-seeking behaviour refers to patients' choices regarding their preferred healthcare destination and the timing of seeking assistance for treatment. Patients with TB usually first approach the private sector and/or lose several months' time in inappropriate diagnosis and treatment due to lack of awareness regarding the availability of standard treatment protocols. This can lead to poor outcomes such as drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) and/or death.

METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the health-seeking pathway and delays in diagnosis and initiation of DR-TB treatment among patients registered with the DR-TB centre in Vadodara District (India).

RESULTS: A total of 93 patients were enrolled in the study; the median age was 35 years (IQR 24-45). For the first visit, 59 (63%) patients chose a public healthcare facility, mainly because the facility was near their residence ( n = 20, 21.5%). The median delay in reaching the first healthcare facility was 12 days (IQR 7.5-30). Delay in reaching second- and third-level care was respectively 25 days (IQR 9-68) and 16 days (IQR 4-67).

CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of patients required visits to a second healthcare centre for diagnosis, while one third needed a third visit. The overall median delay for reaching the DR-TB centre was 60 days (IQR 26-122). The median duration from symptom onset to the first healthcare contact fell within the timeframe for screening symptoms in standard diagnosis.