Delay In Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis: An Ethnography Of Patients Behavior And Pathways For Treatment In Murree Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to explore causes of delay in the diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB) by focusing on patients' behavior and pathways to the final destination of a Government TB treatment facility.
Methods: This ethnographic research was conducted in Murree Punjab, Pakistan. During this 18-month ethnography, 24 Pulmonary TB patients were selected through convenient sampling. Data was collected by applying the life history method, which helped to gain profound and reliable information on patients' social sufferings. Besides this, participant observation, field notes, and a Focused Group Discussion were used for data collection. The field data was analyzed by observing trends in TB diagnosis.
Results: It was found through the analysis of field data that TB patients prioritized their income over their health because of their poverty. During the sickness and adversity, the patients started with ethnomedicine and finally reached the government TB facility after following various pathways.
Conclusion: The patients’ narratives conclude that owing to poverty, access, stigma, and low trust in government healthcare facilities and delayed diagnosis of TB. This delay further continued diffusion TB in families and society.