The Association Between Chronic Condition Symptoms and Treatment Burden in a Skilled Nursing Population.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the relationship between chronic condition symptoms and treatment burden in older adults transitioning from skilled nursing facilities to home. Treatment burden is defined as the burden associated with adhering to a prescribed chronic condition self-management regimen. Analysis of correlations between chronic condition symptoms and treatment burden revealed that symptoms and treatment burden are positively correlated (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.40, F[10, 63] = 5.96, p < 0.001), controlling for other known antecedents of treatment burden, demonstrated that fatigue (standardized beta coefficient = 0.47, p < 0.001) predicted higher levels of treatment burden. Post hoc analysis revealed caregiver presence partially mediated the effect of fatigue on treatment burden, decreasing treatment burden during transition. Findings support existing transitional care literature suggesting that clinical assessment, including symptom screening, treatment of symptoms, and/or intervention reducing the impact of symptoms on patients' health and well-being, may lower treatment burden, thus improving self-management adherence. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(12), 45-52.].