'I'm fed up': experiences of prior anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the impact of past experiences of anti-tuberculosis treatment among patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on perceptions and attitudes towards treatment.

METHODS

Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 12 HIV-MDR-TB co-infected patients in Mumbai, India.

RESULTS

Patients reported unnecessarily long pathways to care and fatigue with diagnostic and treatment procedures. In particular, they expressed concerns over the lack of efficacy of their current treatment regimen based on their experiences with anti-tuberculosis treatment regimens in the past.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients reported negative experiences with previous HIV and anti-tuberculosis treatment. Access to early diagnosis and rapid initiation of integrated care for HIV-MDR-TB co-infected patients, with a strong, patient-centered support system, could help to combat the low morale and lack of faith in treatment described in this group of patients.