Self-management programs offer people with chronic conditions the knowledge, skills and resources to help them better manage their health. They are not:
- educational programs
- cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
- peer support groups on their own.
Self-management programs can be defined as group, individual, online or other format programs that:
- simultaneously address symptom and disease management, emotional consequences and daily life with a chronic condition (Corbin & Strauss 1988)
- provide opportunity for competence mastery, vicarious learning, social persuasion and re-interpretation of symptoms
- teach problem solving and decision making (Bandura, 1997)
- include instruction on developing partnerships, goal setting and action planning.
Benefits
Self-management programs or interventions aim to achieve 1 or more of the following outcomes for people with chronic conditions:
- improvements in health and other behaviours, for example work
- improvements in health status including physical functioning and psychological wellbeing
- reductions in unplanned health service utilisation, for example:
- visits to the doctor
- emergency visits
- hospital admissions.
Quality improvement
The Quality Self-Management Assessment Framework (Q-SAF) tool (PDF 266KB) was developed by Curtin University of Technology and WA Health. The Framework assists in the quality improvement of self-management programs for:
- providers
- managers
- researchers.
Q-SAF provides a generic framework to systematically examine CCSM program strengths and weaknesses. It is recommended for use in combination with an ongoing quality improvement cycle.
The Q-SAF outlines quality components in 4 program domains:
- self-management program content and delivery
- program reach, consistency and sustainability
- workforce skills
- organisational support.
The following diagrams illustrate how using the QSAF identified areas for improvement in content and workforce capacity for a self-management program.
CCSM programs in your local area
For information about CCSM Programs in your local area please contact the peak body for your condition, your nearest community health service or ConnectGroups to find out about support groups.
Information sheet
Other resources