Treatment Burden Among Older Adults with Diabetes in Community Settings: Challenges and Primary Care Support Strategies
Keywords:
Diabetes, Older adults, Primary health care, Treatment burdenAbstract
Diabetes is a major health concern among older adults, many of whom face a significant treatment burden-defined as the workload and responsibilities required to manage their condition, such as medication adherence, lifestyle modifications, and coordination with healthcare services. This burden is particularly pronounced among community-dwelling older adults who often experience barriers such as limited healthcare access and low health literacy. These challenges can lead to poor treatment adherence and diminished quality of life.
This academic article is a conceptual synthesis on treatment burden, aiming to present a comprehensive analysis of the context and components of treatment burden among community-dwelling older adults with diabetes. The discussion encompasses five key areas: 1) dimensions of treatment burden, 2) approaches for assessing treatment burden, 3) factors influencing treatment burden, 4) challenges faced by the primary healthcare system in mitigating treatment burden among older adults living with diabetes, and 5) strategies within the primary healthcare system to alleviate treatment burden among older adults.
The primary healthcare system, as a key mechanism for community-based care, should be designed to minimize such burdens. At the same time, it should promote the ability of older adults to maintain a good quality of daily life that genuinely aligns with their individual contexts. Such an approach is essential for achieving long-term, sustainable improvements in quality of life for older adults living with diabetes.
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