Disparities in treatment burden in Peru among people with multiple long-term conditions by geography and healthcare facility: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

People with multiple long-term conditions (MLTC) in low-resource settings face high treatment burdens, influenced by healthcare access and quality disparities. The study aimed to compare the treatment burden among patients with MLTC across geographical locations and healthcare providers in Peru. We conducted a cross-sectional study conducted between June–October 2023 among outpatients aged ≥40 years with type 2 diabetes and ≥1 additional chronic condition, recruited from public and private healthcare facilities in urban Lima and semi-urban Tumbes, Peru. Treatment burden was assessed using the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (MTBQ). Differences in median MTBQ scores by setting and healthcare provider were analyzed using regression models adjusting for capacity- and workload-related variables. Among 555 participants (55% female, mean age 62.4 ± 10.5 years), median MTBQ score was 27.1 (IQR 14.6-41.7). After adjustment, patients in semi-urban Tumbes had higher treatment burden than those in urban Lima (adjusted median difference 6.1 points; 95% CI 2.9 to 9.3), while patients receiving care in private facilities had lower treatment burden than those in public settings (−6.6 points; 95% CI −9.3 to −3.9). These findings highlight substantial inequalities in treatment burden by place and provider type, with implications for efforts to improve care delivery and reduce disparities for people living with MLTC.