Table 2. Details of included studies.
Authors | Objective | Methods | Theoretical perspective and working definition of BoT |
---|---|---|---|
Tran, Barnes et al. | To describe and classify the components of the burden of treatment for patients with chronic conditions | Open-ended questions in an online survey in English, French and Spanish. Content analysis (grounded theory approach). Reinert’s automatic textual analysis. Taxonomy, Bradley et al.’s method | Questionnaire developed after literature review, reviewed by seven experts. BoT defined as “work of being a patient” on functioning and well-being |
Sav et al. | To explore treatment burden among people with a variety of chronic conditions and comorbidities | Semi-structured interviews face to face or over phone. Analyzed using iterative thematic approach and constant comparison method (grounded theory analysis) | The study was guided by the interpretive social paradigm, described by Neuman[33]. BoT defined as consequences patients and their families experience as a result of undertaking or engaging in treatment |
Noël | To explore the collaborative care needs and preferences in primary care patients with multiple chronic illnesses | Semi-structured interviews in focus groups. Descriptive codes were grouped to generate broader themes. Patterns, interrelationships and overarching categories were discerned among the themes | Results grouped according to Von Korff’s collaborative management of chronic illness care[34]. No definition of the BoT |
Eton et al. | To finalize a conceptual framework of treatment burden | 1st round: Semi-structured interviews in focus groups. Used Ritchie and Lewis Framework to create a conceptual framework 2nd round: Focus groups. To test the fitness of the framework and clarify new issues |
Normalization Process Theory[35] and prior studies of treatment impact informed the questions. BoT defined as the workload of health care and its impact on patient functioning and well-being |
Ridgeway et al. | To present the factors that patients with multimorbidity draw on to lessen perceptions of treatment burden | Same as Eton et al. Themes and subthemes were used to identify factors that mitigate treatment burden |
Same as Eton et al. |
Gallacher et al. | To assess the burden associated with treatment among patients living with chronic heart failure | Secondary analysis of qualitative interviews. Ritchie and Lewis framework analysis informed by Normalization Process Theory | Normalization Process Theory as a conceptual tool. BoT involves complex interactions between factors related to health care professionals and systems and factors related to patients’ characteristics |
Kahn et al. | To explore the self-management strategies and treatment burden experienced by low income US primary care patients with chronic kidney disease | Semi-structured interviews one-on-one. Inductive thematic content analysis approach to analyze scripts and identify themes. Themes were reorganized in light of their direct application to Normalization Process Theory and treatment burden | Normalization Process Theory applied to chronic kidney disease. Treatment burden entails the patient’s engagement with providers, the health care system, their family or social support network, and personal self-care regimens |
Tran, Montory et al. | To develop and validate an instrument for measuring treatment burden for patients with multiple chronic conditions | Semi-structured interviews one-on-one. The resulting measurement instrument was tested quantitatively on another group of patients |
Three experts highlighted topics from a literature review. BoT defined as the impact of healthcare on patients’ functioning and well-being, apart from specific treatment side effects |
Bayliss | To identify perceived barriers to self-care among patients with comorbid chronic diseases | Semi-structured interviews one-on-one. Used Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify barriers to self-care | Interpreted the potential barriers to self-care that emerged from the analysis in light of the four components of chronic disease self-management. No definition of the BoT |