Self-Management in Chronic Illness Patients

Self-management promotion
Self-Management in Chronic Illness Patients
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Self-management promotion
Self-Management in Chronic Illness Patients
Chronic illnesses have risen in number with fears of increasing risks for further increase
in such ilnesses. This is due to environmental risks such as air pollution, smoking, lack of
physical activities and unhealthy diets (Celler, & New South Wales University Sydney, 2017).
Self-care among patients with chronic diseases is an important aspect of health managements. In
the recent years, chronic management programs have shifted to the patients. This is due to the
vast research evidence that has shown that programs involving social support, self-efficacy,
follow up plans and improvement of coping skills have a very significant and positive effect
towards management A proper self-management model aims at enhancing patients knowledge,
skills and capacity to manage their health and wellness. Additionally, self-management
programs have increased survival tactics for patients. Many patients can now live for longer
periods with managed complex illnesses (Pulvirenti, Mcmillan, Lawn 2014). There are thus
several strategies and principles that guide an effective self-management program helping one to
overcome the many barriers to effective promotion. This paper explores the many strategies and
principles that help overcome barriers to an effective self-management promotion.
To begin with, lack of information concerning the basic aspects of the diseases is a great
barrier to effective self-management promotion (Coulter, 2016). Education is one of the most
important aspects of an effective self-management promotion. As a strategy and a principle,
education forms the basic step in promoting self-management. Education is offered as a
supplement to the professional care provided by the healthcare facilities (Swan, & Rural Health
Education Foundation. 2014). Originally, client education made much focus on issues of
technical self-administration such as insulin administration. Efforts are currently made to expand
these abilities for a much more complex self-diagnosis (Celler, & New South Wales University

Self-management promotion
Sydney, 2017). Client education needs to incorporate teachings on how the client can properly
understand the problems in their bodies that relate to chronic illness and how to manage them.
Initially, patients would only administer the insulin as per the prescription. Recent developments
educate clients on how to carry out self-diagnosis and solve problems within themselves.
Programs are developing to teach patients much more technical activities such as how to respond
to body problems relating to chronic illness. They learn to exercise more control of their disease
treatment. Additionally, behavioral education is a key aspect of self-management. Clients need to
be effectively taught on behavioral risks. This education will teach clients on how to respond to
physical changes and solve problems relating to the illness.
Most importantly, culture forms a very crucial barrier to self-management promotion.
Culture basically refers to the social context that a patient associates (National Chronic
Condition Self-Management Conference, & Australia 2015). Traditional perceptions and
practices need to be incorporated into programs to cut through to the aged. Australia has a vast
culture which needs to be nurtured to spread acceptance of these programs. Researchers have
found out that some patients comply with such programs only to please the clinicians as a moral
obligation (Swan, & Rural Health Education Foundation. 2014). This is a value that has very
weak foundations and is bound to end without proper follow ups. It is important for the programs
to create a culture of self-responsibility and the desire to be better among the clients. Clients
need to feel the need to create a culture of self-responsibility and self-care. This will properly
promote self-managements programs (Celler, & New South Wales University Sydney, 2017).
Other principles such as creating a sense of local bonding and communism with the
clients, developing mechanism to eliminate structural barriers and facilitate empowerment
programs as well as fostering leadership and advocacy development form some of the best