Table 4. Case management of childhood pneumonia by perceived severity (perceptions of caregivers and care providers).

Illness scenarios/videos (detailed in Table 2)	Respondents	KIIs	SSIs	FGDs	Key Emerging Themes resulting in delay
Illness Scenario 1 & Video 1*	Caregivers	Some in UP would choose RMP or BBD. In Bihar, all would prefer RMP. Few could go to public hospital and few to traditional healer.	Almost half would prefer RMP. Few would wait & watch. Few would go to public hospital. None would go to private hospital.	Most felt that child was not sick hence no treatment required	Caregivers: If perceived to be ‘non-sick’, no treatment was required. If perceived to be sick then RMP would be consulted Care providers: CHWs as well as RMPs would treat themselves and not refer as child with fast breathing was perceived to be less sick
	CHWs	Most would treat the child themselves. Some would refer to public facility	NA	Most would treat themselves. Some would refer to public hospital.
	RMPs	Most would prefer to treat the child themselves. Few would send to public facility	NA	NA
Illness scenario 2 & Video 2*	Caregivers	In UP, few would go to RMPs. Most would use home remedies. In Bihar, most young and all old mothers would go to RMPs. None in U.P. or Bihar would go to private/public hospital.	In UP and Bihar, most would go to BBDs, Few to ANMs, Few to RMPs, Few to Medical college, Few to private hospital, and Few would use home remedy and wait and watch.	Would use home remedy for 1–2 days, then RMPs, then BBD and Medical College. Few to traditional healer as second choice	Caregivers: Could use home remedy while they wait & watch. Else could go to RMPs or BBD. Care providers: RMPs would treat while the CHWs would refer to public hospital.
	CHWs	Most would refer to public hospital. Few to private hospital	NA	Most would refer to public hospital. Few to higher private or public hospital.
	RMPs	Almost half would treat the child and would observe for 1–2 days, then refer to public hospital.	NA	NA
Illness scenario 3 & Video 3*	Caregivers	In UP, most young mothers would go to private hospital while most old mothers would go to public hospital. Some would go to BBD. In Bihar, few young mothers and all old mothers would go to BBD. Few would go to public hospital.	In UP, half would go to private hospital. Some would go to BBD and some to medical college. In Bihar most would go to BBD, some would go to public hospital.	Child was ‘very sick’. Most would go to private hospital or public hospital. Some to BBD.	Caregivers: first go to BBD/private hospital and then to a public hospital. Care Providers: CHWs would refer directly to public hospital. RMPs would advise to take the child to child specialist or a public hospital
	CHWs	Most would refer to public hospital, few would refer to private doctor	NA	Most would send to public hospital while a few would advise for any specialist (BBD/ private hospital)
	RMPs	Most would refer to public or private hospital	NA	NA

*Videos were shown in FGDs only.

NA means that study tool was not used for that category.

Abbreviations: RMPs = Rural Medical Practitioner (usually unqualified). BBD = Block-based doctor (usually qualified). CHWs = Community Health Workers