{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T12:30:22Z","timestamp":1787056222808,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"Suppl 4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) imposes a significant burden on individuals and the healthcare system, particularly in densely populated urban slums. In the context of rising antibiotic resistance driven by widespread self-medication and over-the-counter drug use, understanding care-seeking behavior in resource-constrained settings is essential for effective resource management and equitable public health interventions. This study examined healthcare utilization patterns among residents of an urban slum in Delhi experiencing AUFI.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This prospective longitudinal cohort study assessed healthcare utilization patterns for AUFI using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire over 18 months. The outcome measures were the type of healthcare facility accessed and the medical discipline consulted by individuals with AUFI episodes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 1,497 individuals were included, with 1,278 AUFI episodes recorded. Government hospitals were the most utilized (64.8%), followed by self-medication (18.9%), while private facilities had minimal use. Allopathy was the predominant medical discipline (84.7%), followed by homeopathy (6.9%), Unani (2.7%), Ayurveda (2.2%), and other unclassified practices (3.5%). Age and sex did not significantly influence healthcare choices, whereas socioeconomic status significantly affected the choice of medical discipline. The socioeconomic status was the key determinant of care-seeking behavior; while age, sex, and duration of symptoms had no significant influence.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Government hospitals and allopathic treatment were the primary choices, followed by self-medication. Socioeconomic status emerged as a key determinant of care-seeking behavior.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/ijcm.ijcm_13_26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T17:01:38Z","timestamp":1786986098000},"page":"S647-S654","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Healthcare Utilization Patterns for Acute Undifferentiated Febrile Illness in an Urban Slum of Delhi: A Prospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"51","author":[{"given":"Debadatta","family":"Nayak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Clinical Research, National Homoeopathy Research Institute for Mental Health, Kurichy, Kottayam, Keralam, India"},{"name":"Amity Institute of Public Health and Hospital Administration, New Delhi, 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