Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Atre, Sachin
• Jagtap, Jayshri
• Faqih, Mujtaba
• Dumbare, Yogita
• Sawant, Trupti
• Ambike, Sunil
• Farhat, Maha

Titel

Addressing patients' unmet needs related to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Ist Teil von

• PloS one, 2023-12, Vol.18 (12), p.e0295508

Ort / Verlag

Public Library of Science

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• We aimed to identify and describe the unmet needs of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). As a part of larger cross-sectional mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative data) study on pathways to MDR-TB care, here we present the qualitative component. We interviewed 128 (56 men and 72 women) individuals who had MDR-TB, aged > = 15 years, registered and treated under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) in Pune city of India. We carried out thematic analysis of participants' narratives. We found that delays in diagnosis, lack of counseling, late referral to the NTEP and unwarranted expenditure were the main barriers to care that study participants experienced in the private sector. Provider dismissal of symptoms, non-courteous behavior, lack of hygiene in the referral centers, forced stay with other patients and lack of support for psychological/psychiatric problems were identified as a few additional challenges that participants faced at the NTEP care centers. Using qualitative data from experiences of participants with MDR-TB, we identify patients' several unmet needs, attention to which can improve MDR-TB care. Educating private providers about MDR-TB risk and available rapid molecular assays can help the timely diagnosis of MDR-TB and reduce patients' out of pocket costs. At the RNTCP/NTEP, measures such as training health workers to build rapport with patients, maintaining hygienic environments in the health centers with adequate isolation of participants with MDR from other serious cases, referral of patients with psychiatric symptoms to mental health specialists and monitoring drug shortages can help in improving care delivery.