Perception Of Tuberculosis Patients' Quality Of Healthcare In Australia And Malawi

Abstract

Purpose: While Tuberculosis (TB) is predominantly a disease of the developing world, it does still affect individuals living in the developed world. Although research on TB is extensive, patients’ perceptions of care remain unknown. This article reports on research that investigated Pulmonary TB patients’ perspectives of healthcare care. Design/Method: For this qualitative component of a mixed method descriptive study, 194 participants responded to open-ended questions in a survey and demographic questionnaire. The participants were drawn from a developed and a developing country. There were 44 participants from Australia and 150 from Malawi. Findings: There was widespread dissatisfaction with care. Four themes emerged: insensitivity and judgmental attitudes, inadequate resources, nurses’ lack of specialty knowledge and experience, and limited advocacy. Discussion/Conclusion: Patients are dissatisfied with their healthcare care. Nurses’ judgmental attitudes and stigmatization are impacting on patients’ wellbeing and health disparities. Implications: Improving attitudes and overcoming discrimination remains a key challenge.