Multiple healthcare Seeking behaviors of new Smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients attending a diagnosis and treatment center of Bafoussam- Cameroon

Objective: To identify the healthcare seeking behaviours of smear positive pulmonary TB patients before attending the Diagnosis and Treatment Centre (DTC) of Baleng and to assess the influence of patients, patients’ relatives and healthcare workers on these behaviours. Methods: We conducted a descriptive study on new smear positive pulmonary TB patients consulting at the tuberculosis DTC of Baleng from February 2 nd to December 21 st , 2013. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and health-seeking behaviours were collected by direct interviews, using a structured questionnaire. Data on clinical characteristics were extracted from patients’ registers. Results: Of the 147 patients (mean age 36.93 years) enrolled, most were males (65.99%), and 53.74% of participants had at least attained secondary school education. The mean duration of patients’ delay to visit the DTC was 5.15 month (Std Dev: 4.92). About 53.6% of patients had sought care in at least three different places before being diagnosed for TB. Diagnosis was initiated by the patients themselves (14.97%), by a relative (64.63%) or by a health worker (20.41%). About 80% of patients with TB-related symptoms were not referred to TB DTC when attending ordinary health care facilities. However, this non reference rate was not statistically different when patients consulted in public or private health care facilities (p=0.11). Conclusion: TB patients have several health seeking behaviours before attending the DTC. TB therapeutic options are greatly influenced by patients themselves and their relatives. Most patients with TB related symptoms who visit ordinary health facilities are not referred to DTC. There is therefore a necessity to improve community sensitization, Public-Public and Public-Private Mix (PPM) in tuberculosis control in Cameroon.