Critical analysis of everyday self-care decision making in chronic illness.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the paper is to (1) identify prevalent assumptions that underlie the traditional conceptualization of everyday self-care decision making and (2) contrast these with the findings of relevant research.


BACKGROUND
Current understandings of self-care decision making in chronic illness tend to be extrapolated from knowledge gained in relation to one-time decisions, or decision making in contexts that are only superficially related to the complexity and pervasiveness of living with a chronic disease.


RESULTS
The authors challenge the assumptions with which current understandings represent self-care decision making in chronic illness, using evidence from their research on what it is like to live with and manage the implications of having a chronic disease on an everyday basis.


CONCLUSIONS
The paper concludes with a call for a new conceptualization of self-care decision making in chronic illness which sufficiently addresses the unique and complex nature of such decisions.
Paterson
B L
BL
University of British Columbia School of Nursing, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. paterson@nursing.ubc.ca
Russell
C
C
Thorne
S
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*