ArticleBMC public health2025
Healthcare-seeking pathway and delay analysis of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patient in Southwestern China.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Burden of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in China, India and Russia: estimates from the GBD 2023 study.Journal of thoracic disease · 2026Article
- Community-based interventions to improve tuberculosis treatment outcomes: A meta-analysis.MethodsX · 2026Review
- Epidemiological Distribution Characteristics of Tuberculosis Among Older Adults in Chongqing (2020-2024): Spatial-Temporal Analysis.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Article
- Explainable prediction of MDR/RR-TB in tuberculosis-diabetes mellitus multimorbidity: a machine learning model developed and validated in a dual-center study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Optimizing Quality of Care for Elderly Tuberculosis Patients in Shanghai, China: Insights from Patient Cascade of Care and Patient Pathway Analysis.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- Patient mobility and travel distance to receive drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment, and their associations with loss to follow-up in Guizhou Province, China.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesRifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) remains a critical health challenge in southwest China. This study investigates healthcare-seeking delays and patient pathways among RR-TB patients in Yunnan province, employing diagram visualization. Aim to explore the accessibility and challenges of medical services for RR-TB.
methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among RR-TB patients who were enrolled in the Tuberculosis Management Information System (TBMIS) from 2020 to 2022. Data was collected via a face-to-face questionnaire survey to measure the patient pathways and delays of RR-TB patients at different health facility levels. SPSS statistical software was used for descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, and patient pathway analysis. Sankey diagram, box plot and a heat map were used for data visualization.
resultsSankey diagrams revealed 7 distinct diagnostic pathways, with 49.4% diagnosed after one health facility visit. Over 50% of patients were diagnosed at county level facilities (Level 2), prolonging delays. As the level of health facility increases, the flow of RR-TB patients gradually decreased. Treatment pathways were simple with 4 routes. 92.4% of RR-TB patients enrolled treatment after visiting only one health facility, reflecting shorter treatment delays (median: 5 days). The median total delay was 66 days (Interquartile range: 28 to 155) of RR-TB patients. The diagnostic delay and total delay in lower health facilities was significantly higher than that in higher-levels (P < 0.05).
conclusionsThis study visualizes RR-TB healthcare-seeking flows in economically underdeveloped areas of China. Though healthcare access is decent, diagnostic delays are notable, especially at under-resourced facilities. We should pay more attention to and enhance the RR-TB diagnostic capabilities of primary health facilities. While treatment pathways are simple, financial burdens might be a key issue. Reducing these burdens through multi-channel funding and policy support is essential.
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