whitetiger wrote:
One time, state "carers" those caring for a person with a disability and "patients," those with chronic illness, and you are covered and can use shorter descriptions.
I echo whitetiger's advice. It is appropriate to use a short form to save space, as long as you define it upfront. By being explicit that "patients" = "those with chronic illnesses", you've told the reader that you recognize the style convention and have made a prudent decision to use an abbreviated form. Just make sure you use it consistently thereafter.
Good luck with the paper.