Risk factors for diagnosis and treatment delay among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan Province, China

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global health threat associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Diagnosis and treatment delays are associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB. However, the risk factors associated with these delays are not robustly investigated, particularly in high TB burden countries such as China. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the length of diagnosis and treatment delays and identify their risk factors among patients with MDR-TB in Hunan province. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using MDR-TB data from Hunan province between 2013 and 2018. The main outcomes of the study were diagnosis and treatment delay, defined as more than 14 days from the date of symptom to diagnosis confirmation (i.e., diagnosis delay) and from diagnosis to treatment commencement (i.e., treatment delay). A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted, and an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify factors associated with diagnosis and treatment delay. Results: In total, 1,248 MDR-TB patients were included in this study. The median length of diagnosis delays was 27 days, and treatment delays were one day. The proportion of MDR-TB patients who experienced diagnosis and treatment delay was 62.82% (95% CI: 60.09–65.46) and 30.77% (95% CI: 28.27–33.39), respectively. The odds of experiencing MDR-TB diagnosis delay among patients coming through referral and tracing was reduced by 41% (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.45–0.76) relative to patients identified through consultations due to symptoms. The odds of experiencing diagnosis delay among ≥ 65 years were 65% (AOR = 0.35, 0.14–0.91) lower than under-15 children. The odds of developing treatment delay among foreign nationalities and people from other provinces were double (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.31–3.06) compared to the local populations. Similarly, the odds of experiencing treatment delay among severely ill patients were nearly 2.5 times higher (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.41–4.42) compared to patients who were not severely ill. On the other hand, previously treated TB cases had nearly 40% (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.42–0.85) lower odds of developing treatment delay compared with new MDR-TB cases. Similarly, other ethnic minority groups had nearly 40% (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.34–0.96) lower odds of experiencing treatment delay than the Han majority. Conclusions: Many MDR-TB patients experience long diagnosis and treatment delays in Hunan province. Strengthening active case detection can significantly reduce diagnosis delays among MDR-TB patients. Moreover, giving attention to patients who are new to MDR-TB treatment, are severely ill, or are from areas outside Hunan province will potentially reduce the burden of treatment delay among MDR-TB patients.