| title: | Tuberculosis: the analysis of the reasons of delay in diagnosis and treatment in six counties of South-Estonia |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5195 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
3. Medical Sciences |
| status: | completed |
| institution: | Clinicum of Tartu University |
| head of project: | Alan Altraja |
| duration: | 01.01.2002 - 31.12.2004 |
| description: | An increase in tuberculosis morbidity, accompanied by the appearance of multidrugresistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) has been experienced in Estonia since the early 1990 s. Estonia has thus far enjoyed a low rate of HIV infection, the most important reason of this disease. One concern is the long interval between the onset of symptoms and initiation of antituberculosis treatment, which contributed to the spread of TB. The aim of the present study is to analyze the period between the onset of symptoms in tuberculosis patients and the initiation of treatment: * to quantify the patient delay and the doctor delay in all patients in South-Estonia * to examine the help-seeking behaviour of TB patisents, to find predictive factors for the patient delay * to analyze the actions of the health care providers whom the patients contacted about their symptoms - reveal the role of general practioners, first medical aid and specialists in this process - to find predictive factors for the doctor delay * to examine frequency of the patient delay, the doctor delay, and hospital delay by sputum smear status. All newly diagnosed cases of TB documented by culture in 2002 in 6 counties of South-Estonia will be interviewed using a questionnaire (n=150). Data about HIV infection and sputum smear status will be collected from medical records. Data will be analyzed: univariate analysis of predictive factors for the patient and for the docto delay, the strength of factors predicting delay are expressed as univariate odd ratios using multivariate logistic regression. Delay in diagnosis of TB has not been studied in Estonia. Minimizing the duration of illness before diagnosis, is a key consideration for health planners and for Estonian TB Control Programme in designing effective tuberculosis control. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Alan Altraja | Tartu University Clinics | Head of the Lung Clinic, associate professor | |
| 2. | Manfred Danilovits | TUC, Lung Clinic | Head of the Dep | |
| 3. | Õie Lindpere | TUC, Lung Clinic | Chest physician | |
| 4. | Lea Pehme | TUC, Lung Clinic | Chest physician, doctoral student | |
| 5. | Mati Rahu | IECM | Head of the Dep | |