Abstract
BackgroundAlthough extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) has long been known as a major public health concern globally, the complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB patients are not widely studied. This study aims to explore the pattern of healthcare-seeking pathways of rural and urban EPTB patients registered with the BRAC TB control programme. BRAC is a Bangladesh-based non-governmental organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through empowering the poor.MethodData were collected through 60 in-depth interviews with rural and urban EPTB patients in Bangladesh.ResultsThe findings reveal that the rural EPTB patients encountered a substantial diagnostic delay as compared to the urban patients. However, the difference between the average number of healthcare providers consulted by the rural verses the urban EPTB patients was not significant. This study also shows that the healthcare-seeking journey of rural and urban EPTB patients usually starts either at pharmacies or private facilities. Through exploring the detailed nature of the pathway, this study reveals the ways in which non-medical informants, mainly relatives and friends, can benefit patients.ConclusionsThe private and informal healthcare providers should receive appropriate training on the diagnosis of EPTB. Such training could effectively shorten the long and complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB patients.
Highlights
Extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) has long been known as a major public health concern globally, the complex healthcare-seeking pathways of extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) patients are not widely studied
The findings reveal that the rural EPTB patients encountered a substantial diagnostic delay as compared to the urban patients
This study shows that the healthcare-seeking journey of rural and urban EPTB patients usually starts either at pharmacies or private facilities
Summary
Extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) has long been known as a major public health concern globally, the complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB patients are not widely studied. This study aims to explore the pattern of healthcare-seeking pathways of rural and urban EPTB patients registered with the BRAC TB control programme. BRAC is a Bangladesh-based non-governmental organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through empowering the poor. Extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is a global public health problem. The most common site for tuberculosis (TB) disease is the lungs, the disease is known as pulmonary TB. Diagnosis and early treatment are important for an effective TB control programme. Delay in Sarker et al BMC Health Services Research (2017) 17:240 patients in India concludes that accessing different medical facilities creates a significant EPTB treatment delay [13]
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