Lived experiences of patients and families with decentralised drug-resistant tuberculosis care in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Lived experiences of patients and families with decentralised drug-resistant tuberculosis care in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
 
Creator Iruedo, Joshua O. Pather, Michael K.
 
Subject Family Medicine; rural health; rural medicine; primary care; primary health care; education DR-TB; HIV; decentralised community care; OR Tambo district; South Africa.
Description Background: South Africa adopted the decentralised Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) care model in 2011 with a view of improving clinical outcomes.Aim: This study explores the experiences and perceptions of patients and family members on the effectiveness of a decentralised community DR-TB care model in the Oliver Reginald Kaizana (OR) Tambo district municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.Method: In this phenomenological qualitative research design, a semi-structured interview with prompts was conducted on 30 participants (15 patients and 15 family members). Framework approach to thematic content analysis was adopted for qualitative data analysis.Results: Four themes emerged from the patients’ interviews: adequate knowledge of DR-TB and its transmission, fear of death and isolation, long travel distances, and exorbitant transportation cost. A ‘ready’ health system influenced the effectiveness of community DR-TB management, while interviews with family members yielded five themes: misconceptions about DR-TB, rapid diagnosis and adherence counselling, long travel distances, activated healthcare workers, and little role of traditional healer.Conclusion: A perceived effectiveness of a community DR-TB care model in the OR Tambo district was demonstrated through the quality and comprehensiveness of care rendered by a ‘ready’ health system with activated health care workers (HCWs) who provided robust support and adequate knowledge of DR-TB and its treatment/side effects. However, misconceptions about DR-TB, long travel distances to treatment facilities, high cost of transportation and stigma remained challenging for most patients and family members.Contribution: This study provides insight into the lived experiences of a decentralised community DR-TB care model in the OR Tambo district in 2020.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor National Research Foundation, The Discovery Foundation, Lindiwe Modest Faye, Dept of Medical Microbiology, Walter Sisulu university
Date 2023-12-22
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — A descriptive exploratory qualitative study
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.4255
 
Source African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 16 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4255/6676 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4255/6677 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4255/6678 https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4255/6679
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa; Eastern Cape; O R Tambo district. 2018 - 2020 All patients diagnosed with drug-resistant TB; Male and Female with no exclusion; all occupation including unemployed;
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Joshua O. Iruedo, Michael K. Pather https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT

International Tel: 021 975 2602

15 Oxford street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 (South Africa)
Copyright © AOSIS (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.
No unauthorised duplication allowed