Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37878729›Full record

ArticleFamily practice2024

Measurement of treatment burden in patients with multimorbidity in the Netherlands: translation and validation of the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (NL-MTBQ).

Loes W S Engels, Tiny van Merode, Monique Heijmans, Juliane Menting, Polly Duncan, Jany Rademakers

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Family practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Patient-reported outcome measures for patients with chronic comorbidities: a systematic review of psychometric properties.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Loes W S EngelsDepartment of Family Medicine, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5728-6773
Tiny van MerodeDepartment of Family Medicine, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9514-2543
Monique HeijmansNetherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel), Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2266-3596
Juliane MentingNetherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Polly DuncanCentre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-2244-3254
Jany RademakersDepartment of Family Medicine, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2742-4543

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMultimorbidity is a growing problem. The number and complexity of (non-)pharmaceutical treatments create a great burden for patients. Treatment burden refers to the perception of the weight of these treatments, and is associated with multimorbidity. Measurement of treatment burden is of great value for optimizing treatment and health-related outcomes.

objectiveWe aim to translate and validate the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (MTBQ) for use in the Dutch population with multimorbidity and explore the level of treatment burden.

methodsTranslating the MTBQ into Dutch included forward-backward translation, piloting, and cognitive interviewing (n = 8). Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed in a cross-sectional study of patients with multimorbidity recruited from a panel in the Netherlands (n = 959). We examined item properties, dimensionality, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity. The level of treatment burden in the population was assessed.

resultsThe mean age among 959 participants with multimorbidity was 69.9 (17-96) years. Median global NL-MTBQ score was 3.85 (interquartile range 0-9.62), representing low treatment burden. Significant floor effects were found for all 13 items of the instrument. Factor analysis supported a single-factor structure. The NL-MTBQ had high internal consistency (α = 0.845), and provided good evidence on the construct validity of the scale.

conclusionThe Dutch version of the 13-item MTBQ is a single-structured, valid, and compact patient-reported outcome measure to assess treatment burden in primary care patients with multimorbidity. It could identify patients experiencing high treatment burden, with great potential to enhance shared decision-making and offer additional support.

Indexed as

MultimorbidityPsychometricsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCost of IllnessCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesTranslationsmultimorbiditypatient-reported outcome measurepolypharmacypsychometricsquality of lifeshared decision-making

Identifiers

PMID37878729
PMCPMC11636562

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.