Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41849269›Full record

ArticleJMIR formative research2026

Financial Burden in Adults With Chronic Illness in Switzerland: A Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Interviews Using Natural Language Processing and Topic Modeling.

Giovanni Spitale, Julia Seinsche, Rosa M S Visscher, Andrea Schöpf-Lazzarino, Josip Jurisic, Federico Germani, Elena Alder, Nikola Biller Andorno, Karin Ribi, Bettina Schwind

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR formative research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Giovanni Spitale *Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6812-0979
Julia Seinsche *Careum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0000-0002-2038-0261
Rosa M S VisscherCareum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0000-0003-2817-9359
Andrea Schöpf-LazzarinoCareum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0000-0002-4705-2938
Josip JurisicCareum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0009-0002-6154-3861
Federico GermaniInstitute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5604-0437
Elena AlderCareum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0000-0002-8656-9825
Nikola Biller AndornoInstitute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-7661-1324
Karin RibiCareum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, Zürich, Canton of Zurich, 8006, Switzerland, 41 43 222 63 31.ORCID 0000-0003-4724-1197
Bettina SchwindInstitute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-9639-7780

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation 220691
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic illness may cause a financial burden that affects patients, their caregivers, and families. While international research, mostly from the United States, has largely focused on cancer-related financial hardship, less is known about whether financial distress due to other chronic illnesses exists, specifically in countries that have universal health insurance coverage, such as Switzerland. Objective: This study aims to provide insights into how financial burden is discussed by individuals living with chronic illness in Switzerland. Methods: Based on a natural language processing (NLP) approach, alongside topic modeling, a secondary analysis of 180 qualitative interviews of individuals living with chronic illness (dementia, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and rare diseases) from the Swiss Database of Individual Patient Experiences was conducted. Results: Key categories identified were money issues, disability insurance, general insurance concerns, and work and loss of income. Individuals living with dementia and Parkinson disease appear to be more concerned with money issues, whereas people living with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and rare diseases are more burdened by insurance-related concerns, specifically disability insurance-related challenges. Bureaucratic hurdles and employment instability appear to contribute to the financial burden of people living with chronic illness in Switzerland. Conclusions: Financial burden is a complex issue among individuals living with chronic illness in Switzerland. Our findings indicate that effectively addressing this burden requires a comprehensive and context-sensitive strategy. Targeted interventions should consider factors such as insurance eligibility, employment flexibility, and the mitigation of out-of-pocket costs to improve financial stability and quality of life for affected individuals.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessFinancial StressAdultAgedChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedNatural Language ProcessingQualitative ResearchSecondary Data AnalysisSwitzerlandchronic illnessfinancial burdennatural language processingqualitative datatopic modeling

Identifiers

PMID41849269
PMCPMC12998611

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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.