Applying the Three Delays Model to understand emergency care seeking and delivery in rural Bangladesh: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: The Three Delays Model has been commonly used to understand and prevent maternal mortality but has not been systematically applied to emergency medical conditions more generally. The objective of this study was to identify delays in emergency medical care seeking and delivery in rural Bangladesh and factors contributing to these delays by using the Three Delays Model as a framework. DESIGN: A qualitative approach was used. Data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews using semistructured guides. Two analysts jointly developed a codebook iteratively and conducted a thematic analysis to triangulate results. SETTING: Six unions in Raiganj subdistrict of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: Eight focus group discussions with community members (n=59) and eight in-depth interviews with healthcare providers. RESULTS:…