One
of the hallmarks of the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and Patient
Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH), and likely any other acronym that arises to
emphasize patient-centric care, is self-management support. Self management is a growing
practice in primary care for working with patients with a chronic condition(s). Self management techniques can also be
used with well patients who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What
does self management support mean? In a nutshell, it is a means to teach
patients to take ownership for their illness or care and live a healthy life
with a chronic condition. Self
management support is a proven method to teach problem-solving skills to help
patients overcome the physical and emotional problems caused by the disease. Patients
learn how to set short term goals that are actionable and specific. Through
self management support and active goal setting, patients learn how to take
care of their illness, how to carry out normal daily activities and to manage
the emotional changes that occur with a chronic condition. By setting small,
specific goals, patients become an active participant in their health care and
gain a sense of accomplishment and empowerment as they achieve success in
managing their illness.
How
do patients learn these skills? By working with trained staff in their primary
care physician’s (PCP) office. These trained individuals can be any member
of the PCP office, both clinical and non-clinical. Another learning method
is to take a self-management course that is offered in the local community or
through another health care venue. With
self management skills, individuals are better equipped to accept
responsibility for managing their chronic condition. The key to success in
transferring self management skill knowledge, as with most things, is
education. What do you have to
say about teaching your patients
self management skills? PTI wants to hear it.
