Summary

• Effective self-management and patient education should be regarded as essential components of a high-quality, modern health system.

• The best type of educational activities for patients experiencing chronic health conditions should include: a) disease-specific information; b) general managing skills (e.g., problem-solving, finding and using resources, working with a health care team); and c) use of behavioral strategies that increase patients’ confidence (i.e., self-efficacy) in their ability to engage in behaviors needed to manage their condition on a daily basis.

• Self-management support can take place on a one-to-one basis between the patient and health care professional or in group settings led by either health providers or lay persons, or by using interactive technology like the internet.

• When patients participate in evidence-based self-management programs and interact with health professionals who use self-management support strategies, they become more knowledgeable and have higher self-efficacy. This influences their behavior as well as the behavior of their health providers; patients attain better disease control leading to improved health outcomes and higher patient satisfaction; and better healthcare utilization takes place as well as improved workplace productivity and lower costs.

• Effective self-management support programs not only involve changes at the clinician-patient level but also require change at multiple levels: office environment, health system, policy, and environmental supports.

• Use of multiple modalities has been shown to lead to improved health behavior outcomes.

• Not all patients are willing or able to engage in self-management or educational activities. In these cases, the involvement of family and significant others could be beneficial.

• Modern interactive social networking technologies have a boundless potential for
enhancing self-management support.