Health Care System Delay of Tuberculosis Treatment and Its Correlates among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Hadiya Zone Public Health Facilities, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Delay in TB treatment is significant to both disease prognoses at the individual level and within the community. Even though studies conducted in TB treatment delay there is result inconsistencies due to differences in culture, environment and infrastructure. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess health care system tuberculosis treatment Delay and associated factor among pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Method: Facility based cross sectional study triangulated by Qualitative data collection method. A total 340 PTB patients in Hadiya zone public health facilities included in the study. Health facilities were selected by Simple random sampling method from three woredas. DOTS user at the beginning of data collection was consecutively recruited in to the study until the intended sample size was fulfilled. Multivariable binary Logistic regression was used. A P-value < 0.05 at 95% CI was considered statistical significance between dependent and predictor variables. Result: 340 PTB patients participated in this the study. 30% of the PTB patients faced health system delay. Visiting two or more health care providers (AOR: 3.40, 95% CI (1.910, 6.07), every trying other drug than TB drug (AOR: 4.0, 95% CI (2.144, 7.465) and prolonged referral (AOR: 3.004, 95% CI (1.59, 5.67) were independent predictors of delay. Conclusion: Prolonged referral, several visit of health care providers of two or more and ever used other drugs rather than Anti-TB drugs were found to have association with patient delay and health system delay.

Tuberculosis Diagnosis Delays and Associated Institutional Barriers Among Tertiary Hospitals in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

“…An association was established between distance to diagnostic centers and duration of diagnosis in this study. This findings concurred with other study finding which established that long diastance to TB diagnostic centers as a precipitator to diagnostic delay [8]; [9]; [10]; [11]; [22] . However, this finding did were not in line with finding of a study done in Mombasa County, Kenya [23] .…”

“…[8]; [10]; [11] , misdiagnosis [2]; [12] , clinical inertia [13] , high workload [2] , multiple visits to hospital [1]; [3]; [14] , cash payment [2]; [3]; [7] , machine breakdown [15] and inadequate health education [15]; [16] . In 2021, the prevalence of TB in Kenya was reported as 426 per 100,000 population [17]; [18] .…”