General Endocrinology

MON-852 - The Work Patients Must Do: Treatment Burden Across Endocrine Conditions

Monday, June 15, 2026

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM CT

Location: ENDOExpo; Poster Floor

Abstract Poster Presenter(s)

MA

Misk Al Zahidy, MS

Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, United States

Co-Author(s)

MB

Megan E. Branda, MS

Principal Biostatistician
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
LV

Luis Vilatuna Andrango, MD

Research Trainee
Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN, United States
KG

Kerly Guevara maldonado, MD

Research Fellow
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
AC

Ana Gabriela Claros, MD

Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
ML

Maria Lizarazo Jimenez, MD

Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, United States
MM

Marcelo Montero, MD

Research Trainee
Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
IA

Ivan Mateo Alzamora, MD

Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, United States
Juan P. Brito, MD

Care and AI Laboratory, Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN, United States

Senior Author/Primary Investigator(s)

VM

Victor Montori

Co-Author(s)

VM

Victor Montori

Background: Patients with endocrine conditions must perform substantial work to implement recommended treatments, including self-management tasks, healthcare system navigation, and use of digital health tools. While treatment burden is increasingly recognized as a determinant of care feasibility and sustainability, evidence describing how different types of burden vary across endocrine conditions in routine clinical care remains limited. Characterizing condition-specific burden patterns may help clinicians anticipate workload demands and identify areas where care may be difficult to sustain.

Methods: In an observational cohort of adult patients (≥18 years) receiving endocrine care, participants completed the 25-item Treatment Burden Questionnaire plus Digital (TBQ+D) during routine visits. Items were grouped into four domains: self-management workload, healthcare system navigation, capacity strain, and digital treatment burden. Overall, digital, and total burden scores were compared across patients with diabetes, thyroid disease, and comorbid endocrine conditions. Associations between treatment burden and two indicators of perceived capacity (“living a normal life” and ability to “continue this level of effort”) were examined.

Results: A total of 320 patients completed the TBQ+D (thyroid n=124; diabetes n=111; comorbid endocrine conditions n=85). Overall treatment burden (p=0.01), digital burden (p=0.0004), and total burden (p=0.0006) differed significantly across clinical groups. Diabetes encounters demonstrated the highest burden, with higher median scores across overall, digital, and total burden compared with other endocrine conditions. Differences were driven primarily by self-management workload and digital treatment burden. In contrast, healthcare system navigation burden was common across all conditions, with more than half of patients reporting at least one system-related burden item. Capacity strain did not differ by condition. Patients reporting difficulty living a normal life or sustaining their current level of effort had substantially higher total treatment burden (both p< 0.001).

Discussion: Endocrine conditions differ not only in the amount of treatment work required, but in the types of tasks patients must perform. Domain-level burden patterns highlight areas where clinical care may be particularly demanding or difficult to sustain. Making these workload profiles visible in routine endocrine practice may support more feasible, patient-centered, and minimally disruptive care.

*Unless otherwise noted, all abstracts presented at ENDO must not be released to the press or the public until the date and time of presentation. For oral presentations, the abstracts are embargoed until the session begins. The Endocrine Society reserves the right to lift the embargo on specific abstracts that are selected for promotion prior to or during ENDO.*