What's involved?
Many self-management programmes are based on a psychological theory known as ‘self-efficacy’ developed by Albert Bandura. He described self-efficacy as ‘the belief that an individual has about their own capability to be able to produce a particular outcome’. There are said to be many different ways to enhance self-efficacy, and these have been tested in different people with a range of chronic diseases.
More information about self-efficacy can be found at:
http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/self-efficacy.html
The chronic disease self-management programme developed by Kate Lorig and others at Stanford University is based on self-efficacy theory. If people have strong self-efficacy (self-confidence) to self-manage then they are usually more confident to self-exercise, manage complications and experience less fatigue and pain.
Self-management programmes can also be group-based and involve people with different conditions and disabilities. Some of the programmes are led by professionals (e.g. nurses, therapists) and some are facilitated by experts on living with and managing their own condition or disability.
The content of each programme is very different but usually includes sessions on how to manage particular symptoms, learn different exercises, manage one’s own medication and work on setting individual targets and goals.
One such programme is available in the UK through the Expert Patients Programme and is based on the chronic disease self-management programme pioneered in the USA.
For more information visit:
http://www.expertpatients.co.uk/public/default.aspx
