TB diagnosis pathways
The WHO (2011) describes two pathways to
TB diagnosis: the “patient-initiated”
pathway; and the “screening” pathway.
The patient-initiated pathway is often
called passive case finding as it depends on
patients presenting themselves to healthcare
services, whereas the screening
pathway is called active case finding as
it involves targeting and screening highrisk
populations.
The patient-initiated pathway includes
five steps, each of which can present a
potential barrier to early diagnosis:
» Recognition of symptoms by the sick
individual or carer;
» Accessing an appropriate
healthcare provider;
» Identification of patients with
suspected TB by healthcare workers;
» Accessing correct diagnostic tests;
» Referral to specialist services.
Understanding and addressing these
barriers could increase early diagnosis.