Patient and health system delay among TB patients in Ethiopia: Nationwide mixed method cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health

Table 3 Reasons why TB patients delaying seeking health care in Ethiopia

Variables		#	%
Reasons for delay in seeking health care	Not aware of the severity of the symptoms	320	84.4
	Fear of rejection/losing job	25	6.6
	Fear that treatment is expensive	32	8.4
	Lack of time	29	7.7
	Difficult access to health center/transportation issue	19	5.5
	Not having a previous satisfactory experience with the health system	20	5.3
	Feeling as if not delayed in seeking treatment for the symptoms	24	6.3
	Others	7	1.8
Seek advice from private facilities and traditional services		188	22.8
	Private drug vendor	76	40.4
	Religious leader	65	34.6
	Traditional healer	39	20.7
	Others	8	4.3
Initially seen by HEW and referred		103	12.5
Health facility of the first diagnosis	In the same health facility contacted first	249	30.3
	Referred from government hospital	422	51.3
	Referred from government health center	50	6.1
	Referred from private health facility	100	12.2
	Referred from NGO health facility	2	0.2
Who do you think can better reduce the delay in the diagnosis and treatment	The patient	487	59.2
	The family	506	61.5
	The health system	211	25.6
	The government	14	1.7
	Others	7	0.9

ISSN: 1471-2458