Self-management education: a self-care intervention in healthcare quality improvement
Chronic diseases have become a primary concern for healthcare systems worldwide. Resources are increasingly being diverted to the care of chronic conditions, with little effect on reducing the burden on both health systems and patients’ quality of life. Approaching chronic disease care purely from the medical perspective and within the traditional healthcare system, originally designed to address acute illnesses, has not been effective. Self-management education represents a new paradigm of care for chronic diseases. It complements both clinical care and traditional patient education, in supporting patients to achieve the best possible quality of life with their chronic conditions.
