- For some people an episode of living with a heart condition may be short lived. However for most patients it will alter the way they live their life and will impact on their family and friends in some way.
- It is likely that they will need to adjust to this different health scenario and make changes, either major or minor, to their lifestyle.
- It is also generally the case that these changes will continue for the rest of their life.
- Support, care and treatment from formal health and social care services will be a crucial part of that long term management.
- However for the vast majority of the time the patient will be managing their condition on their own and/or with support from family, friends and the wider community they are part of.
Pulse point
The concept of self management needs to be promoted from the earliest point in the person’s health journey.
It is often viewed in one of two ways:
- as a portfolio of techniques and tools that help patients choose healthy behaviours
- or
- as a fundamental transformation of the patient/carer relationship into a collaborative partnership
Which of these reflects your current thinking and practice around self-management?
Page last reviewed: 18 May 2020
