Article Analysis Essay on Treatment Burden for Chronic Illness

Introduction

The article, "Burden of treatment for chronic illness: a concept analysis and review of the literature," by Sav et al. is a concept analysis study that seeks to observe the burden of treatment for people with chronic diseases. The article deviates from many other articles which observe the burden of disease and symptom burden and seeks to establish treatment burden. As the authors establish, treatment burden for patients with chronic diseases is a subject that has not been much explored and thus not well articulated. However, an issue needs to be critically observed because it is of great effect to the health and wellbeing of patients who have chronic diseases.

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The study established that treatment burden is composed of four main factors. It is initially concerned with learning about the treatment of the particular chronic disease and the consequences. Then, it involves engaging others and mobilizing support for the treatment plan. It also consists of addressing issues concerning adherence to treatment and lifestyle changes. Lastly, it involves monitoring treatment. The concept of treatment burden is attributed by characteristics such as it is dynamic, multidimensional, and is both subjective and objective. It may also be affected by some antecedents not limited to patient characteristics, disease conditions or behavior, treatment characteristics, and family support and engagement (Sav et al., 2015). Its consequences are also myriad and range from treatment adherence, family support, health and wellbeing, use of resources, impacts on employment, among others. The research, therefore, explores the treatment burden of patients with chronic diseases as quite sophisticated and hence needing more magnificent exposition.

The choice of this article was driven by the need to understand how treatment for people with chronic diseases can be managed effectively. It was worth observing that treatment for chronic disorders is an issue that needs intricate care. Patients who have chronic diseases face a wide range of issues ranging from the process of treatment to changes in lifestyle and the use of medications, in many cases, over a lifetime (Bonis, 2013). The burden of treatment for these people, therefore, ought to take adequate consideration of all the factors that are needed to be harnessed together to make their treatment effective (Eton et al., 2017). The article thus explains a great deal of detail regarding the treatment of people with chronic diseases.

The article established that the burden of treatment for people with chronic disorders is composed of several issues. One of the problems studied is that of the undesired physical effects. These are the side effects that make the medication process quite hard (Sav et al., 2015). The other issue facing treatment for people with chronic disorders is the economic burden. This is attributed to the fact that chronic diseases are often life long, and hence the use of resources is inevitable. Also, the administration and management of chronic diseases can be entirely consuming in terms of time (Tinetti, Naik & Dodson, 2016). Additionally, one feels as if they are a burden to family and those who care for them. Treatment of chronic diseases is, therefore, both objective and subjective and can be quite costly and personally inefficient.

The concept analysis impacts on the advanced practitioner's effectiveness in managing chronic diseases in an outpatient setting in such a perfect way. Ideally, it induces the thought of practitioners being more involved in not just observing the provision of treatment but also adherence, treatment of adverse side effects, and ensuring family support (Schreiner, N., Schreiner, S. & Daly, 2018). Care for patients with chronic disorders need not be cut short due to issues that can be avoided, such as lack of family support, increased comorbidities, and lack of adherence or motivation (Eton et al., 2015). From the study, the treatment burden for a practitioner goes beyond offering medication to also being a support system for the patients (Sav et al., 2015). It is, therefore, necessary for practitioners to ensure that they are helpful to their patients in such an arrangement to provide better care for patients with chronic diseases in the future.

The choice of the article was based on its effectiveness in showing how the treatment of people with chronic disorders can be ensured in a smooth and effective way. As the authors dictate, the burden of treatment is dynamic based on the fact that people with chronic disorders are likely to encounter several other comorbidities. It is also multidimensional since side effects need to be addressed and additionally, it is considered to be cyclic in nature. The article gives a comprehensive view of the treatment of chronic diseases that provides practitioners with a greater view of what it entails to care for people with chronic disorders (Sav et al., 2015). Management of chronic disorders can be quite exhausting for not just the individual but also their families and support system. Therefore, the article is significant because it offers details about the use of resources, caregiving, and how the treatment burden of people with chronic diseases is a universal burden. The article is thus significant as it offers a more rational way that practitioners may use while engaging families and the patients in the process of treatment.

References

Sav, A., King, M. A., Whitty, J. A., Kendall, E., McMillan, S. S., Kelly, F., ... & Wheeler, A. J. (2015). Burden of treatment for chronic illness: a concept analysis and review of the literature. Health Expectations, 18(3), 312-324.

Bonis, S. A. (2013). Concept analysis: Method to enhance interdisciplinary conceptual understanding. Advances in Nursing Science, 36(2), 80-93.

Eton, D. T., Ridgeway, J. L., Egginton, J. S., Tiedje, K., Linzer, M., Boehm, D. H., ... & May, C. R. (2015). Finalizing a measurement framework for the burden of treatment in complex patients with chronic conditions. Patient related outcome measures, 6, 117.

Eton, D. T., Yost, K. J., Lai, J. S., Ridgeway, J. L., Egginton, J. S., Rosedahl, J. K., ... & Odell, L. (2017). Development and validation of the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-management (PETS): a patient-reported measure of treatment burden. Quality of Life Research, 26(2), 489-503.

Schreiner, N., Schreiner, S., & Daly, B. (2018). The Association Between Chronic Condition Symptoms and Treatment Burden in a Skilled Nursing Population. Journal of gerontological nursing, 44(12), 45-52.

Tinetti, M. E., Naik, A. D., & Dodson, J. A. (2016). Moving from disease-centered to patient goals-directed care for patients with multiple chronic conditions: Patient value-based care. JAMA cardiology, 1(1), 9-10.