Under the bidirectional screening policy, impact of diabetes mellitus on patient and diagnosis delays of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Ningxia, China: a propensity score analysis

Our study revealed that DM only exacerbated patient delay and ultimately had no significant effect on diagnosis delay. This suggests that screening for TB in DM patients can reduce diagnosis delay. Therefore, emphasizing community TB health education in DM patients is crucial. Additionally, there is a need to promote the integrated model of TB management and enhance the awareness of primary medical institutions' doctors regarding the comorbidity of DM-PTB, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic capabilities to effectively prevent and control TB.