Table 1 Pathway taxonomy: class composition (frequency, percentage of participants presenting the category within the class)

Pathway 1 Lay/regular source of care interrelation

Pathway 2 Other professionals

Pathway 3 Lay/consultation discontinuity

Pathway 4 Other medical doctor

Pathway 5 Regular source of care continuity

(n = 207)

(n = 72)

(n = 237)

(n = 84)

(n = 231)

Suspicion

 Lay

441 (53.5 %)

83.6 % *

72.2 % *

91.1 % *

0

0

 Regular source of care

215 (25.9 %)

0

0

0

- -

84.0 % *

 Other MD

98 (11.8 %)

0

0

0

72.6 %*

16.0 % *

 Other professional

70 (8.4 %)

14.5 % *

25.0 % *

8.9 %

- -

0

First medical consultation

 Same as suspicion

313 (37.7 %)

0

0

0

97.6 % *

100.0 % *

 Other MD

262 (31.5 %)

0

33.3 %

100.0 % *

- -

0

 Regular source of care

202 (24.3 %)

83.1 % *

41.7 % *

0

0

0

 Never

28 (3.4 %)

8.7 % *

13.9 % *

0

0

0

 Missing

26 (3.1 %)

8.2 % *

11.1 % *

0

- -

0

Other consultations

 None

608 (73.2 %)

76.3 %

- -

21.9 %

23.8 %

90.9 % *

 One

157 (18.9 %)

21.3 %

37.5 % *

- -

- -

- -

 More than one

61 (7.3 %)

0

16.7 % *

15.6 % *

- -

- -

Tests

 X-rays

471 (56.7 %)

- -

63.9 %

58.7 %

64.3 %

53.3 %

 Bending

183 (22.0 %)

- -

- -

- -

- -

32.5 %*

 Both tests

104 (12.5 %)

- -

13.9 %

14.4 %

14.4 %

12.1 %

 No

51 (6.1 %)

10.1 %*

6.9 %

6.3 %

7.1 %

- -

 Missing

22 (2.6 %)

6.3 %*

0

0

7.1 % *

0

Referral visit

 Same as suspicion

251 (30.2 %)

0

- -

0

- -

99.6 % *

 Regular source of care

213 (25.6 %)

83.6 % *

30.6 %

0

- -

0

 Same as first consultation

185 (22.3 %)

0

0

78.1 % *

0

0

 Other MD or professional

92 (11.1 %)

0

34.7 % *

- -

47.6 % *

0

 Self-referral

46 (5.6 %)

16.4 % *

12.5 % *

0

- -

0

 Other specialist

41 (5.0 %)

0

9.7 % *

10.6 % *

10.7 % *

0