title: Supporting patients to self-manage chronic disease: clinicians' perspectives and current practices.
abstract: This study investigated: clinicians' perspectives of the scope of self-management, which self-management support initiatives are used, and the factors clinicians consider when deciding which initiative to use with individual patients. Three phases of data collection were used. First, clinicians were interviewed about their attitudes toward self-management (n=14). Second, clinicians and managers completed a survey about the support initiatives they use (n=38). Third, in interviews clinicians described the applications of initiatives (n=6). Data were descriptively and thematically analysed. Clinicians believed that supporting self-management involved a holistic approach. However, some also thought that not all patients had the capacity to self-manage. This idea may be at odds with the underlying notion of self-management and impact on the support provided. Clinicians reported using 54 initiatives to support self-management and identified a range of situations when each initiative may or may not be suitable. This suggests that clinicians need to be familiar with a range of support initiatives as one will not suit everyone. Deciding which initiative is most appropriate may be aided by the development of guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Stewardship, Building 54, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, AGSM Building, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Short
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Stewardship, Building 54, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dugdale
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, AGSM Building, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nugus
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Governance Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, AGSM Building, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greenfield
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires