AIMS: The directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) has been adopted in China's modern tuberculosis (TB) control programme since 1992. However, the case detection rate of TB is far below the global 70% target. The aims of this study are to analyse the healthcare-seeking experiences and economic burden of potential TB patients with more than two weeks of cough in counties with and without a DOTS project and to explore the barriers to access for potential TB patients in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using questionnaire interviews was conducted in a DOTS project county (Jianhu) and a non-DOTS county (Funing) in Jiangsu Province. A total of 1,204 chronic cough hospital patients were interviewed about their care-seeking experiences. RESULT: The mean patient delays were 34 and 29 days respectively in Jianhu and Funing (p = 0.070). A shorter patient delay was associated with the availability of medical insurance (RR = 1.36, p<0.01). More than 97% of patients sought care in the general health system, rather than in the special TB dispensary. Only 1.8% (Jianhu) and 5.0% (Funing) of the subjects had been sputum smear tested (p<0.001). The average patient's expenditure was CNY346 in Jianhu and CNY256 in Funing (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Potential TB patients' access to TB care needs improving under DOTS. The expenses for treatment of cough are a heavy burden for the poor. Since the low-income patients first seek care at village health stations or township hospitals for cough, it is vital to involve the general health system in the DOTS project.
AIMS: The directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) has been adopted in China's modern tuberculosis (TB) control programme since 1992. However, the case detection rate of TB is far below the global 70% target. The aims of this study are to analyse the healthcare-seeking experiences and economic burden of potential TB patients with more than two weeks of cough in counties with and without a DOTS project and to explore the barriers to access for potential TB patients in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using questionnaire interviews was conducted in a DOTS project county (Jianhu) and a non-DOTS county (Funing) in Jiangsu Province. A total of 1,204 chronic cough hospital patients were interviewed about their care-seeking experiences. RESULT: The mean patient delays were 34 and 29 days respectively in Jianhu and Funing (p = 0.070). A shorter patient delay was associated with the availability of medical insurance (RR = 1.36, p<0.01). More than 97% of patients sought care in the general health system, rather than in the special TB dispensary. Only 1.8% (Jianhu) and 5.0% (Funing) of the subjects had been sputum smear tested (p<0.001). The average patient's expenditure was CNY346 in Jianhu and CNY256 in Funing (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Potential TB patients' access to TB care needs improving under DOTS. The expenses for treatment of cough are a heavy burden for the poor. Since the low-income patients first seek care at village health stations or township hospitals for cough, it is vital to involve the general health system in the DOTS project.
Authors: Y Lin; D A Enarson; C-Y Chiang; I D Rusen; L-X Qiu; X-H Kan; Y-L Yuan; J Du; T-H Zhang; Y Li; X-F Li; C-T Du; L-X Zhang Journal: Public Health Action Date: 2015-03-21
Authors: Ndeindo Ndeikoundam Ngangro; Doudeadoum Ngarhounoum; Mosurel N Ngangro; Ngakoutou Rangar; Mahinda G Siriwardana; Virginie Halley des Fontaines; Pierre Chauvin Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-07-09 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Muhammad Umair Mushtaq; Ubeera Shahid; Hussain Muhammad Abdullah; Anum Saeed; Fatima Omer; Mushtaq Ahmad Shad; Arif Mahmood Siddiqui; Javed Akram Journal: Int J Equity Health Date: 2011-02-04