Delay in TB treatment is significant to both disease prognoses at the individual level and within the community. Even though studies conducted in TB treatment delay there is result inconsistencies due to differences in culture, environment and infrastructure.
The aim of the study was to assess health care system tuberculosis treatment Delay and associated factor among pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
Facility based cross sectional study triangulated by Qualitative data collection method. A total 340 PTB patients in Hadiya zone public health facilities included in the study. Health facilities were selected by Simple random sampling method from three woredas. DOTS user at the beginning of data collection was consecutively recruited in to the study until the intended sample size was fulfilled. Multivariable binary Logistic regression was used. A P-value < 0.05 at 95% CI was considered statistical significance between dependent and predictor variables.
340 PTB patients participated in this the study. 30% of the PTB patients faced health system delay. Visiting two or more health care providers (AOR: 3.40, 95% CI (1.910, 6.07), every trying other drug than TB drug (AOR: 4.0, 95% CI (2.144, 7.465) and prolonged referral (AOR: 3.004, 95% CI (1.59, 5.67) were independent predictors of delay.
Prolonged referral, several visit of health care providers of two or more and ever used other drugs rather than Anti-TB drugs were found to have association with patient delay and health system delay.