title: Self-management programmes for people post stroke: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the evidence base underlying self-management programmes specific to stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven electronic databases were searched using combinations of keywords related to stroke and self-management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies involving adults with a clinical diagnosis of stroke, which explored self-management interventions, were included. Study selection was verified by two reviewers who independently conducted methodological quality appraisal and data extraction using a tool developed by The American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen studies were included in this review. Significant treatment effects in favour of the self-management intervention were found in six out of nine randomized controlled trials, and three out of six non-randomized trials in our review. Four randomized controlled trials involving more than 100 participants per trial reported statistically significant results in favour of the self-management group in relation to measures of disability, confidence in recovery, the stroke specific quality of life (sub-scales of family roles and fine motor tasks), and the physical component scale of the short form SF-36 Score. The wide range of outcome measures used prevented comparison across studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review provides some preliminary support for the potential importance of self-management interventions after stroke. The most appropriate content and best approach for delivery of these interventions remains to be determined. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of stroke self-management programmes.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. sheila.lennon@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Self-management; stroke; systematic review