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BMC Primary Care
Published in: BMC Primary Care 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Care | Research article

Factors associated with patients’ and GPs’ assessment of the burden of treatment in multimorbid patients: a cross-sectional study in primary care

Authors: Lilli Herzig, Andreas Zeller, Jérôme Pasquier, Sven Streit, Stefan Neuner-Jehle, Sophie Excoffier, Dagmar M Haller

Published in: BMC Primary Care | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Multimorbid patients may experience a high burden of treatment. This has a negative impact on treatment adherence, health outcomes and health care costs. The objective of our study was to identify factors associated with the self-perceived burden of treatment of multimorbid patients in primary care and to compare them with factors associated with GPs assessment of this burden.

Method

A cross sectional study in general practices, 100 GPs in Switzerland and up to 10 multimorbid patients per GP. Patients reported their self-perceived burden of treatment using the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ, possible score 0–150), whereas GPs evaluated the burden of treatment on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 1 to 9. The study explored medical, social and psychological factors associated with burden of treatment, such as number and type of chronic conditions and drugs, severity of chronic conditions (CIRS score), age, quality of life, deprivation, health literacy.

Results

The GPs included 888 multimorbid patients. The overall median TBQ was 20 and the median VAS was 4. Both patients’ and GPs’ assessment of the burden of treatment were inversely associated with patients’ age and quality of life. In addition, patients’ assessment of their burden of treatment was associated with a higher deprivation score and lower health literacy, and with having diabetes or atrial fibrillation, whereas GPs’ assessment of this burden was associated with the patient having a greater number of chronic conditions and drugs, and a higher CIRS score.

Conclusion

Both from patients’ and GPs’ perspectives TB appears to be higher in younger patients. Whereas for patients the burden of treatment is associated with socio-economic and psychological factors, GPs’ assessments of this burden are associated with medical factors. Including socio-economic and psychological factors on patients’ self-perception is likely to improve GPs’ assessments of their patients’ burden of treatment thus favoring patient-centered care.
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Metadata
Title
Factors associated with patients’ and GPs’ assessment of the burden of treatment in multimorbid patients: a cross-sectional study in primary care
Authors
Lilli Herzig
Andreas Zeller
Jérôme Pasquier
Sven Streit
Stefan Neuner-Jehle
Sophie Excoffier
Dagmar M Haller
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Primary Care / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 2731-4553
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-0974-z

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