Table 2.
COPD treatment-burden themes based on framework analysis of interview data
| Participant* | Health behaviors | Medical appointments and health care- provider issues | Medications | Learning about conditions and care | Medical devices/equipment | Monitoring health status | Treatments not prescribed by health professionals | Financial challenges | Interpersonal challenges | Barriers to self-care | Emotional and social impacts of treatment burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+++ |
| Belinda | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | |
| Carrie | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ||
| Cassandra | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ||
| Charlene | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ||
| Cheryl | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | |
| Darlene | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | |
| David | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓++ | ||
| Gary | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ |
| Geoff | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓+ |
| Geraldine | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | |
| Gus | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ | |
| Gwyneth | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ||
| Harvey | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ |
| Henry | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+ |
| Hugh | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ||
| Jenny | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | |
| Karen | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ||
| Katherine | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓+ | |
| Laura | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓ | |
| Margaret | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓+++ | ✓+ | |
| Mark | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | |
| Megan | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+++ |
| Peter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Stacy | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓+ | ✓++ | |
| Tony | ✓+++ | ✓++ | ✓+ | ✓++ | ✓ | ✓+ | ✓+++ | ✓+++ | ✓ | ✓+ |
Notes: ✓, Topic discussed: no burden – treatment work requires time commitment, but is not perceived as a burden, may even have positive effects (eg, exercising improving well-being); +, slight burden (treatment work perceived as somewhat burdensome, but does not trigger negative emotional response nor significantly interfere with patient’s everyday activities); ++, moderate burden (treatment work is burdensome, triggers feelings of frustration, interferes with some of patient’s everyday activities); +++, significant burden (treatment work is very burdensome, triggers feelings of depression, patient’s everyday activities severely limited because of treatment work).
Names provided are pseudonyms.