Fentabil Getnet|Meaza Demissie|Nega Assefa|Bizatu Mengistie|Alemayehu Worku
Delay in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in low-and middle-income settings: systematic review and meta-analysis
Jigjiga University|Addis Continental Institute of Public Health|Haramaya University|Haramaya University|Addis Ababa University
assessment delays seeking care diagnosis tuberculosis essential evaluate effectiveness tuberculosis control programs identify programmatic impediments thus review studies aimed examine extent patient health system total delays diagnosis pulmonary tuberculosis low middle income countriesit done following preferred reporting items systematic reviews metaanalyses electronic databases searched retrieve studies published 2007 2015 including pubmed central springer link hinari google scholar searching terms pulmonary tuberculosis health care seeking health care seeking behavior patient delay diagnostic delay health system delay provider delay doctor delay retrieved studies systematically reviewed summarized using comprehensive metaanalysis softwareforty studies involving 18975 patients qualified systematic review 14 qualified metaanalysis median diagnostic delay ranged 30 3665 days iqr 44778 4199 days iqr 1550 21285 days iqr 1234 due patient health system delays respectively metaanalysis showed 42 pulmonary tuberculosis patients delayed seeking care month uneducated patients pooled 15 95ci 1119 sought initial care informal providers pooled 3 95ci 2339 higher odds patient delaydelay diagnosis still major challenge tuberculosis control prevention programs low middle income settings efforts develop new strategies better casefinding using existing systems improving patients care seeking behavior need intensified