title: Using Concept Mapping to Develop a Strategy for Self-Management Support for Underserved Populations Living With Chronic Conditions, British Columbia, August 2013-June 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-management support (SMS) is an essential component of public health approaches to chronic conditions. Given increasing concerns about health equity, the needs of diverse populations must be considered. This study examined potential solutions for addressing the gaps in self-management support initiatives for underserved populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stakeholders representing government, nongovernment organizations, Aboriginal communities, health authorities, medical practices, and research institutions generated, sorted, and rated ideas on what could be done to improve self-management support for underserved populations. Concept mapping was used to facilitate the collection and organization of the data and to generate conceptual maps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants generated 92 ideas that were sorted into 11 clusters (foster partnerships, promote integrated community care, enhance health care provider training, shift government policy, support community development, increase community education, enable client engagement, incorporate client support systems, recognize client capacity, tailor self-management support programs, and develop client skills, training, and tools) and grouped into system, community, and individual levels within a partnership framework.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strategy can stimulate public health dialogue and be a roadmap for developing SMS initiatives. It has the potential to address SMS and chronic condition inequities in underserved populations in several ways: 1) by targeting populations that have greater inequities, 2) by advocating for shifts in government policies that create and perpetuate inequities, 3) by promoting partnerships that may increase the number of SMS initiatives for underserved groups, and 4) by promoting training and engagement that increase the relevance, uptake, and overall effectiveness of SMS.
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z8. Email: sue.mills@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario;
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Guillermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D001955:British Columbia; D057191:Capacity Building / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D062309:Community Integration; D003210:Concept Formation; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D010317:Partnership Practice; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011340:Problem Solving; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012944:Social Support; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data