Lots of great work in this and adjacent areas across disciplines by @vmontori.bsky.social @michaelannica.bsky.social @ishaniganguli.bsky.social @mirandayaver.bsky.social @pamherd.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social just among those I know are on Bluesky!

The conversation around patients’ treatment burden is sometimes framed around reducing the amount of health care - fewer visits, fewer meds. But it may not just be the amount of health care so much as the system that surrounds that care that contributes significantly to the experience of burden.

Increasing numbers of chronic conditions, depression, and sensory, functional, and mobility impairments were all associated with greater perceived burden of health care, suggesting opportunities to improve patient capacity as a means of reducing overall burden.

We found that administrative and financial burden were the most commonly cited sources of burden for older adults - more so than doctors’ visits or medications.

This survey within the Health and Retirement Study focused on patients’ self-reported experience of burden. There was a wide range of treatment burden levels, but almost 90% of older adults reported at least some treatment burden, with 5% reporting levels previously described as “unsustainable”.

Patients' perceived treatment burden is important not only because it reduces quality of life (esp. important in folks with serious illness and/or limited life expectancy), but also because it impacts adherence and potential future health care engagement and outcomes.

I've caught myself thinking some version of this meme now when I hear folks describing their studies as target trial emulations.

For something short, quiet, and contemplative, I enjoyed A Month In the Country (JL Carr), Held (Anne Michaels), and Orbital (Samantha Harvey). For something long, fast-paced, and plot-driven, I second the recommendation for The Bee Sting (Paul Murray)!

Reading the replies has been fascinating - it looks like there's a want for expectation-setting from first/senior authors what is needed from middle authors ("we think this is close to ready" vs "we welcome your feedback on x, y, and z specifically"). Not something I'd thought a lot of before!

I assume the draft is close to done and try not to line-edit. Exceptions include if there are critical omissions in the analysis, wording that is ambiguous or could mislead the reviewers, or we're way over word limit - but even then, usually framed as suggestions in comments.