Self-management refers to any way in which a person with a chronic or long-term health condition (LTHC) manages their health. It includes all the actions taken by people to recognise, treat and manage their own health condition and it happens in partnership with their healthcare providers. Research shows that people feel more confident and engaged when they are empowered to self-manage thereby making it key to person-centred care.
The HSE Self-management Support Coordinators, HSE Health and Wellbeing have created a new resource designed to support people living with chronic or long-term health conditions to self-manage. ‘Tips for Self-Managing your Health when Living with a Long-term Health Condition’ is a practical booklet that explains self-management, its benefits and where people can get more information and support.
The booklet covers key self-management topics including the following:
- learning about your condition,
- getting the most from your appointments,
- medication management and the importance of keeping a medicine list,
- being as healthy as you can be,
- looking after your mental health,
- setting SMART self-management goals and action planning to achieve these goals.
This booklet also helps healthcare professionals to explain and reinforce the benefits of self-management and is available to download from https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/health-and-wellbeing/tips-for-self-managing-your-health-when-living-with-a-long-term-health-condition-booklet.pdf. Printed copies can be ordered from your local HSE Self-management Support Coordinator.
Healthcare professionals play a pivotal role in supporting people living with a LTHC to self-manage. The provision of self-management support ensures that all people who are living with such conditions are encouraged to address their risk factors and to manage their condition(s). Healthcare professionals can also help people develop the confidence and skills to self-manage.
Supported self-management has been shown to result in:
- Improved health outcomes
- Improved service user experience
- Reductions in unplanned hospital admissions
- Improved adherence to treatment and medication.
Supporting self-management is even more important considering that the incidence of chronic disease increases with age. In fact in Ireland almost 2/3 of adults over the age of 65 years have two or more chronic conditions.
For more information on Self-management Support in the HSE go to www.hse.ie/selfmanagementsupport. The information, programmes and resources listed on these webpages help our colleagues to support self-management and help our service users to better self-manage and live well with their chronic condition.