Skip to main content

Table 3 Reported barriers to ordering stool tests

From: Diagnostic testing practices for diarrhoeal cases in South African public hospitals

 

Total (n = 32)

Urban (n = 10)

Rural (n = 22)

p-value

Laboratory turnaround times too long to assist with clinical decision-making

17 (54.8%)

6 (60.0%)

11 (52.4%)

> 0.999

Patients unwilling to provide stool samples

11 (35.5%)

3 (30.0%)

8 (38.1%)

0.660

Nursing staff reluctant to collect stool samples

10 (32.3%)

5 (50.0%)

5 (23.8%)

0.222

Lack of confidence in laboratory results

6 (19.4%)

4 (40.0%)

2 (9.5%)

0.067

Financial constraints on diagnostic testing

5 (16.1%)

0 (0.0%)

5 (23.8%)

0.092

Diagnostic results are unhelpful in clinical management/decision making

3 (9.7%)

1 (10.0%)

2 (9.5%)

> 0.999