Measuring carer burden in informal carers of patients with long-term conditions.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this literature review is to identify the most common tools used to measure burden in carers of people with Parkinson's disease (PD), heart failure (HF), multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHOD Databases such as Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Academic Search Complete were searched. Studies in which carer burden was measured were included. RESULTS Zarit Burden Inventory and Caregiver Reaction Assessment were most commonly used to measure carer burden, regardless of the chronic condition. A wide range of other instruments were also used. CONCLUSIONS Even though a range of tools are available, further improvements are necessary in order to enable healthcare professionals to identify carers experiencing high burden.