Analysis of care-seeking and diagnosis delay among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Beijing, China

Front Public Health. 2024 Apr 16:12:1369541. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1369541. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge in China. Early detection and diagnosis of TB cases are crucial to interrupt disease transmission and prevent its progression. This study aims to describe the delay in seeking care and diagnosis among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and identify the influencing factors in two counties in Beijing.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out to investigate care-seeking and diagnosis delay in two counties in Beijing. Basic information of PTB patients from January 1 to December 31, 2021, was extracted from the Tuberculosis Information Management System of China (TBIMS), and all enrolled patients were interviewed via telephone using a standard questionnaire. Statistical description was performed using the median and interquartile range (IQR). Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors.

Results: 537 patients were enrolled. The median duration of care-seeking and diagnosis delay was 11 (IQR: 5-26) days and 8 (IQR: 0-18) days, with 41.71 and 35.20% of patients experiencing delays (>14 days). The study found that being asymptomatic (OR = 2.791, 95%CI: 1.710-4.555) before seeking medical care and not attending work during treatment (OR = 2.990, 95%CI: 1.419-6.298) were identified as risk factors for care-seeking delay. Patients who were tracked (OR = 2.632, 95%CI: 1.062-6.521) and diagnosed at tuberculosis control and prevention institutions (OR = 1.843, 95%CI: 1.061-3.202) had higher odds of diagnostic delays. 44.69% of patients presented a total delay (>28 days), with a median duration of 25 (IQR: 13-39) days. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that healthy examination (OR = 0.136, 95%CI: 0.043-0.425) was a protective factor for total delay.

Conclusion: Public interventions are necessary to improve the efficiency of PTB patients detection and treatment in Beijing. Medical services should focus on the target population and improve access to medical care to further reduce delays for PTB patients.

Keywords: delay; diagnosis; influencing factors; logistic regression; pulmonary tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Beijing
  • China
  • Delayed Diagnosis* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* / diagnosis
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Thanks to the Key Techniques of Integrated Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis, Beijing, China, and Health Commission high-level public health technical personnel project, Beijing, China, for financial support to conduct this study.