ABSTRACT
Background: Delay in diagnosis and treatment enhances tuberculosis (TB) transmission and mortality. Understanding causes for delay can help in TB elimination by 2025, the stated goal of India. Objectives: Estimate diagnostic and treatment delay in Ernakulam district of Kerala, identify associated factors, and determine health-seeking behavior and knowledge regarding TB among new pulmonary TB patients. Materials and Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study among the new pulmonary TB patients registered under Revised National TB Control Program. Patients interviewed in-person and data collected using pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics expressed as frequency, percent, interquartile range, median, and mean. The Chi?square test was used to assess statistical significance (P < 0.05) of association. Backward conditional method logistic regression done using variables with P < 0.2 in univariate analysis and adjusting for possible confounders. Results: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients interviewed and the median patient, health-care system, and treatment delay were 25 days, 22 days, and 1 day, respectively. While the patient delay (>30 days) and treatment delay (>2 days) were seen in 47.6% and 41% of patients, respectively, health?care system delay was seen in 79.9% of the patients. Choosing pharmacy for initial treatment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 5.217), unskilled occupation (aOR = 3.717), female gender (aOR = 3.467), previously not heard about TB (aOR = 3.410), and lower education level (aOR = 2.774) were the independent predictors of the patient delay. Visiting two or more doctors (aOR = 5.855) and initially visiting a doctor of undergraduate qualification (aOR = 3.650) were the independent predictors of health?care system delay. The diagnosis in private sector (aOR = 8.989), not being admitted (aOR = 3.441), and age above 60 years (aOR = 0.394) was the independent predictors of treatment delay. Conclusion: Initial treatment from pharmacy, consulting multiple physicians, and diagnosis by private sector cause significant delay in diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB.
ABSTRACT
The migration of doctors from developing to developed countries is an ongoing phenomenon. There is scant information on the attitudes of medical students to the ethical aspects of this trend. This paper reports on a study of 50 first-year medical students and 52 interns in a college in Vellore city, Tamil Nadu. Only 13 of 102 respondents thought that migrant doctors contributed significantly to the health system in India. 17% thought that doctor migration was not an ethical issue, and 40% thought that individual altruism had no role in solving public problems. The responses to case scenarios suggest that first-year medical students are more likely to have an altruistic and communitarian attitude whereas interns tended to emphasise individual liberty and autonomy.